11 Reviews! Developer Features! Latest News!
The Vita Lounge M A G A Z I N E
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The Vita Lounge M A G A Z I N E
www.thevitalounge.net THE VITA LOUNGE TEAM EDITORIAL Executive Editor / Paul Murphy @pmurphy1978 Editor-in-Chief / Kyle Wakeling @teflontactics Deputy Editor / Charlie Large @charlielarge Deputy Editor / Brad Gruetzmacher @vongruetz Podcast Editor / Tyler Olthoff @imsohappy77 NORTH AMERICAN TEAM Lateralus1082 @lateralus2801 Zach Price @MyrishMartyr James Aquilina @technocat44 EUROPEAN TEAM Liam Langan @liamhangover Colin Byrne @ColinJByrne CONTRIBUTORS Shizuka MAGAZINE DESIGN Jhonatan Carneiro @JhoCarneiro
Hello Vita Gamers!
Welcome to Issue Six of The Vita Lounge Magazine! We are back with our biggest issue so far, and within these 52 pages you'll find out about our time at the UK's biggest gaming show, EGX. Whilst there was an very limited Vita presence in Birmingham, Charlie and myself did find 12 games that are Vita bound and you can read our thoughts from page 18. Also this month you will find 11 reviews, including cover title Paul Murphy Super Time Force Ultra, which of course was on part of the PMurphy1978 Instant Game Collection. Did you pick it up? We have four Founder developer features again in this issue with Benjamin Rivers, What I’ve been Capybara Games, Different Cloth and Tribute Games all playing: Sly Trilogy discussing their latest Vita games. We also round off this issue with a great feature from Polish Vita website MyPSVita.pl and they discussing the titles that have been developed by Polish game studios. We really hope that you enjoy this issue and hope you'll check in next time, when hopefully we will actually have Volume and Dancing All Night reviews!
Original TVL logo designed by Buramu
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SPECIAL THANKS Capybara Games @CAPYGAMES Tribute Games @TributeGames Benjamin Rivers @BenjaminRivers Different Cloth @differentcloth MyPSVITA.pl @MyPSVITApl PRINT EDITION If you want to support us and aid The Vita Lounge financially as well as receive a print copy of future issues of The Vita Lounge Magazine delivered worldwide to your door please head over to www.patreon.com/TheVitaLounge and consider pledging to us!
meet the TEAM...
BACK ISSUES You can buy previous print issues of the magazine for £3.99 (plus shipping) from www.thevitalounge.net/shop whilst stocks last! ADVERTISING Want to get your game featured in the magazine and read by more than thousands of PSVita fans? We can discuss any and all magazine advertising opportunities, for a very sensible price! Send us an email at advertising@thevitalounge.net COVERAGE Are you a developer? If you are working on Vita content and want to get it covered in either the magazine or on the website, then we would love to hear from you! Please send an email to press@thevitalounge.net and add us to your press lists. If you have a game coming out soon and want us to tell other Vita owners, get in touch! DISCLAIMER The Vita Lounge is an independent PlayStation Vita enthusiast website. All content featured is used with permission, and is used to promote existing and upcoming titles for the PS Vita. We are not endorsed or affiliated with Sony or PlayStation, or any of the companies featured. © 2015 The Vita Lounge
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Kyle Wakeling
Charlie Large
Tyler Olthoff
Brad Gruetzmacher
What I've been playing: Killzone Mercenary, Ridge Racer, Hot Shot Golf: World Invitational
What I’ve been playing: Super Meat Boy
What I’ve been playing: Invokers Tournament
What I’ve been playing: Farming Simulator 16
Lateralus1082 Colin Byrne
Liam Langan
Zach Price
What I’ve been playing: Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax
What I've been playing: Kung Fu Rabbit
What I’ve been playing: Heroes of Loot
teflontactics
Lateralus1082
Chaz3010
EnterCole
What I’ve been playing: Samurai Warriors 4-II
ImSoHappy77
liamlangan
vongruetz
MyrishMartyr
! Latest News! eloper Features 11 Reviews! Dev
Contents 04 NEWS TO GO
THE LATEST VITA NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
06 UPCOMING RELEASES
ge The Vita Loun Z I N E M A G A
The Vita Lounge Magazine | Issue 6 | October 2015
22 REVIEWS 23 24
26
Back to Bed Velocibox
Super Time Force Ultra
LOOKING FOR A NEW GAME? SEE WHAT'S OUT THIS MONTH!
08
DUGAN FROM TIKOPOD SHARES A FEW TIPS AND TRICKS FOR HIS GAME
28
Curses 'n Chaos
WE RECAP THE KEYNOTE FROM THIS YEAR'S TGS - IT'S NOT ALL BAD!
10-17 INTERVIEWS 10 TRIBUTE GAMES
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32
The Bridge
Amnesia: Memories
THIS MONTH'S COVER TITLE IS A FANTASTIC LITTLE SHOOTER AND NATHAN VELLA EXPLAINS ALL
34
36
Shutshimi: Seriously Swole
One Piece Piare Warriors 3
16 DIFFERENT CLOTH GORDON FROM DIFFERENT CLOTH EXPLAINS MORE ABOUT HIS UPCOMING MULTI-TRACK RACER
18
POLISH VITA WEBSITE MYPSVITAPL DISCUSS POLISH DEVELOPERS AND THE VITA GAMES THEY HAVE MADE
50 PATREON STARS
14 BENJAMIN RIVERS
WE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BENJAMIN'S UPCOMING TITLE, ALONE WITH YOU
46 HOT TEN
THOUGHT THERE WAS NOTHING TO GET EXCITED FOR ON THE VITA? HERE'S TEN GAMES THAT SHOUL INTEREST YOU
48 MyPSVitaPL
THE TEAM BEHIND CURSES 'N CHAOS EXPLAIN ALL ABOUT THEIR TITLE
12 CAPYBARA GAMES
44 ROCK BOSHERS GUIDE
38
The Quiet Collection
40
Xeodrifter
THESE AWESOME PEOPLE MAKE THIS MAGAZINE POSSIBLE, SO PLEASE THANK THEM FOR BEING SO AMAZING!
DIRECTORY 51 DIRECTORY
THESE ARE THE 12 BEST VITA GAMES IN 2015 ACCORDING TO OUR REVIEWS. HAVE YOU BOUGHT THEM ALL?
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Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal
PAUL AND CHARLIE WENT TO EGX AND FOUND 12 GAMES THAT ARE ACTUALLY COMING TO VITA, SO THEY PLAYED THEM
The Vita Lounge Magazine | 3
NEWS TO GO Mighty No. 9 gets a new release date The much troubled Mighty No.9 finally has a solid release date, but it's not great news for the handheld versions. Publisher Deep Silver have confirmed that it will hit consoles and PC on February 12th in Europe and February 9th in the US, with portable versions following later in the year. The announcement follows the games recent delay, which was scheduled for the game to come out in September 2015.
PlayStation Vita To Get A Twitch App You'll soon be able to watch your favourite games and live streamers on your PlayStation Vita thanks to the announcement that an official Twitch App is on it's way. At present, Vita owners can watch live streams of PlayStation 4 games through the Live from PlayStation app, but the twitch app will allow viewers to watch live streams of virtually any title. The only downside here is that players won't be able to stream their Vita games by using the app, which would've been neat! The app is set to launch some time in this Fall.
Deadman's Cross Servers Shut Down Users of Free-to-play title Deadman's Cross will be saddened to learn that the servers for the PlayStation Vita version of the game have now officially shut down. As of September 30th, players will now only be able to experience the game on Mobile platforms, thankfully the service didn't end in vain, as players who used both the Mobile and Vita versions were able to transfer their items over before the shutdown.
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Aksys announce release dates for upcoming titles Aksys have announced the release dates for two of their upcoming PlayStation Vita titles, and luckily the release dates aren't too far away.
Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ will launch in North America on October 20th, 2015 with Norn9: Var Commons following a few weeks later on November 3rd, 2015. This is excellent news for Visual Novel fans.
Aqua Blue PlayStation Vita Releasing in the US Bored of owning a plain black or white PlayStation Vita? Good news, the beautiful Aqua Blue PlayStation Vita will be releasing in the US on November 6th retailing at $199. This will be the first time that Vita fans will be able to get their hands on a non-black coloured Vita in the West since the Assassin's Creed III: Liberation bundle dropped in 2012 with a while model.
Kamen Rider: Battride War Genesis Coming to PlayStation Vita Bandai Namco Games have announced that they'll be bringing the Kamen Rider series to PlayStation Vita in Japan. The series has been popular in Japan since 1971, so hopefully there'll be a lot of gameplay to explore in this Dynasty Warriors style game. The cast of playable characters revealed so far weighs in at 45 characters!
Moero Crystal To Be Released in English Sony Computer Entertainment Asia have revealed that Moero Crystal is currently being translated into english for a release in 2016. The news, which will be welcomed by importers follows the launch of the English language release of Moe Chronicles, which was released in 2015.
Trials of Cold Steel Lionheart edition revealed With just a month to go until it's release, Xseed have revealed the collectors edition of upcoming JRPG Trials of Cold Steel. The collectors edition will retail at $49.99 and will contain the following bonuses: - An art book, containing over 100 pages of art from the game and its 2016-bound sequel - A 1.5"″ pin displaying the emblem of the country of Erebonia - A custom clamshell-type box that will also fit the sequel when it releases next year.
Final Fantasy Agito+ Has Been Cancelled Fans of the Final Fantasy series will be heartbroken to learn that Final Fantasy Agito+ for PlayStation Vita has sadly been cancelled. The game was set to head to PlayStation Vita as an apology for Final Fantasy Type-0, which was a PlayStation Portable title, not making it's way to the Vita during it's HD upgrade development.
Two new Warriors Games Heading West Tecmo-Koei have revealed that they will be bringing two more entries of the beloved Warriors series to Western PlayStation Vita's. Samurai Warriors 4: Empires will release sometime in 2016 in the west, with Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires coming even sooner, how much sooner you ask, the game will launch on 24th November in North America and 25th November in Europe.
THERE'S A LOT OF MORE NEWS TO FOUND THIS ISSUE, SO MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT OUR TGS 2015 FEATURE! The Vita Lounge Magazine | 5
Samurai Warriors 4-II October 2nd EU
THIS MONTH'S RELEASES HAVE QUITE A LOT OF VARIETY, WITH RALLYING, FARMING, FIGHTING, HORROR, NARRATIVE-DRIVEN AND EVEN SCI-FI TITLES ON OFFER. WITH THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SUPER MEAT BOY JOINING THE INSTANT GAME COLLECTION YOU ARE SURE TO FIND SOMETHING FOR YOU IN OCTOBER!
Samurai Warriors 4-II is a hero-focused saga. Unlike the previous Samurai Warriors games that focused on delivering their narrative by exploring the various regions of feudal Japan, this title casts a spotlight on the characters themselves and tells their stories through 13 exciting new chapters. These chapters revolve around nine characters introduced in Samurai Warriors 4, three fan-favorites from previous titles and a brand new addition to the samurai roster (Naomasa Ii).
Super Meat Boy October 6th NA/EU
Super Meat Boy is a tough as nails platformer where you play as an animated cube of meat who’s trying to save his girlfriend (who happens to be made of bandages) from an evil fetus in a jar wearing a tux.
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ARE YOU A OPER VITA DEVEL ER? OF PUBLISH VE A GAME DO YOU HA GET OVEMBER? N IN G IN S RELEA NOW ND LET US K IN TOUCH A VITA E CAN TELL SO THAT W SUE! UR NEXT IS O IN S R E N OW
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Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax October 6th NA/EU
Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax features over sixty new vignettes to explore in its Dream Duel Mode, in addition to the original story campaign present in the Arcade Mode. It also features original cutscenes exclusive to the console versions, penned under the supervision of Dengeki Bunko’s writers to add further depth to the interactions of this “fantasy crossover”, and even stages designed after some of Sega’s most iconic series’.
Farming Simulator 16 October 6th NA/EU
After skipping a year on the Vita, Farming Simulator 16 will bring back a large number of European farm vehicles such as Lamborghini and Deutz-Fahr (sorry John Deere lovers) as well as a few new activities for you to accomplish. Sheep will now be available for you to raise and cultivate for wool. There is also a new forestry component so that players can now add logging to their list of things to do.
Actual Sunlight October 7th EU
Actual Sunlight is a game about love, depression and the corporation. Stylised as “true game” for those over 18 because of the symmetry with real adult life, the game was released to positive reviews back in 2013, and Will O’Neil, the game’s developer is bringing it to the Vita.
Corpse Party: Blood Drive October 13th NA / TBC EU
The final installment of the supernatural story that began with Corpse Party and continued in Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, Corpse Party: Blood Drive ups the ante by allowing players to explore Heavenly Host Elementary in full 3D for the first time, with all of its formerly 2D environments meticulously recreated and greatly expanded.
WRC 5
October 16th EU
WRC 5 is landing on the Vita this October and this installment is the first that uses developer Kylotonn Games’ new engine – the Kt Engine HD.
Code: Realize Guardian of Rebirth October 20th NA
Code: Realize Guardian of Rebirth is an otome/ visual novel coming from Aksys Games. Featuring literary and historical figures, alongside steampunk themes – the game looks certain to be a hit with fans of the genre.
Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space October 20th NA
A direct predecessor to Earth Defense Force 2017, Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space is widely regarded as the best entry in the series and is making its way to the west for the first time in the form of this greatly expanded remake. In the game, players will take on the role of one of three distinct military classes and take on hordes of invading giant insects.
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THIS YEAR’S TOKYO GAME SHOW KICKED OFF WITH A PRESS CONFERENCE COURTESY OF SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN-ASIA THAT WAS FILLED WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE PLAYSTATION VITA. THERE WERE SOME THAT WERE FANTASTIC FOR VITA OWNERS BUT ONE PARTICULAR ANNOUNCEMENT LEFT A SOUR TASTE FOR SOME.
Starting with the bad news (news that we had seen coming for some time) was the announcement of Gravity Rush Remastered, an upscaled version of the fantastic Vita game that up until that point had managed to remain one of the Vita’s more intriguing exclusives. Combine this with the announcement that a fully fledged sequel to Gravity Rush would be giving Vita the slip, and many Vita fans were left angry and upset. Thankfully, with the bad news out of the way, third party developers were a lot more kind to our favourite handheld, starting off with Bandai Namco who had two brand new titles to show off. First up was Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS Force, a new addition to the series based on the popular Japanese arcade game. Revealed as an exclusive to the PlayStation Vita the game is set to land sometime in Winter 2015 – with an English language version of the game also confirmed. Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS Force is an arena fighter which sees players participate in 1v1 or 2v2 battles against local opponents or online.
Bandai Namco revealed a new game based on the One Piece series named One Piece: Burning Blood – a title which is set to be an arena fighter that will take fans of the series back to it’s origins and retell the story of the popular anime. The announcement was also revealed with a trailer that featured English narration, so you can bet your sweet western dollars that this’ll be making it’s way west.
Tecmo-Koei, who have been one of the more prominent supporters of the Vita also took to the stage to announce that a sequel to the popular Oni slaying hack ‘n’ slash game series Toukiden will be making it’s way to PlayStation Vita in 2016. A trailer for the game showed more open world environments as well as new weaponry and the ability to latch onto enemies with a demon arm.
The most supportive 3rd party developer to take the stage at the event was Square-Enix who had not one, not two, but three games to reveal more information on. The first of these three titles was World of Final Fantasy, which was introduced in a much better way than it’s E3 debut with a fantastic looking trailer that gave us a sense of just what kind of new direction the company were aiming for with this title – with a traditional turn-based battle system and monster collecting in tow. 8 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
SaGa, a series which will soon be celebrating its 25th anniversary has a Vita title on the way. We already knew this but we learnt that it will be called SaGa: Scarlet Grace, and Square Enix showed off a beautiful trailer showcasing hand-drawn visuals, and an epic soundtrack alongside a 2016 release date.
Project Setsuna, which was teased at E3 was given a full name as well as revealing what platforms it would release on, thankfully one of these platforms turned out to be PlayStation Vita. Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna is set to release in Japan sometime in early 2016 and a trailer revealed that this will be more of a traditional JRPG and will take place in an area covered in snow.
To top off Square-Enix’s announcements was the release date of Dragon Quest Builders, a Minecraft style game which will be set in the world featured in the original Dragon Quest game. The trailer which accompanied the announcement revealed that the game will feature a story and a goal to work towards as you aim to rebuild the world after darkness takes over. The game is set to launch in Japan on January 28th, 2016.
Following Square-Enix’s presentation was the announcement that the ongoing partnership between Atlus and Vanillaware, who’ve previously brought Dragon’s Crown the to Vita, would also be producing 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. The announcement trailer showed off a beautifully hand drawn Japanese school in a modern setting with giant robots. Details are scarce on this game at the moment, with no concrete release date set for the title as of yet.
Perhaps the most interesting and exciting announcement from the press conference came from Spike-Chunsoft, a team whose popularity (especially in the west) has been increasing thanks to the Danganronpa series. With two main games and a spin off already available on the Vita, it was inevitable that the main series would eventually continue and, thankfully, the announcement of Danganronpa 3 was mostly welcomed by fans. There was a slight upset caused to Vita fans however, when it was announced that for the first time in the series, Danganronpa 3 will also launch on PlayStation 4 alongside the Vita version. Details on the sequel are few and far between at present, but a teaser trailer at the event showed a court case involving several different Monokumas. The developer confirmed that Danganronpa 3 is in the early stages at the moment and as for more details, well, we should all look out for ‘An event like you’d never expect’. While those were all of the announcements from the press conference, Square-Enix had one more announcement to make on the TGS show floor, and that was the announcement that the 1991 GameBoy title Final Fantasy Adventure was in the process of being remade for PlayStation Vita and would be releasing in Japan this Winter. Final Fantasy Adventure, the game which became the foundation for the Secret of Mana series, will be fully remade with 3D characters and environments. To summarise, while we lost one of the longest serving PlayStation Vita exclusives, and with developers seemingly going for multi-platform development over producing exclusives, the future is certainly looking bright for the Vita in Japan. There are certainly a lot of interesting titles still in development, but the hopes for most now will be how many of these titles will make their way into Western hands? Only time will tell! The Vita Lounge Magazine | 9
TVL MAGAZINE
CURSES 'N CHAOS WAS JUST RELEASED ON PSVITA, SO WE TOOK UP SOME TIME TO CHAT WITH TRIBUTE GAMES ABOUT THEIR GAME AND THEIR FUTURE PROJECTS
Hey there Justin/Tribute Games! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! For those that may not be familiar with your work, can you tell us a little about your studio and your story so far? Hi, I'm Justin and I work at Tribute Games as an animator and game designer. I'd worked with a lot of these guys at the studio for many years before at Ubisoft. I'm a massive fan of pixel art, retro games and challenging games in general. Congratulations on the recent launch of Curses N’ Chaos, can you give our readers a brief overview of what the game is about? Thanks! You play as a pair of bounty hunters cursed by death looking for a way to cure themselves. They team up with a wandering alchemist who encourages them to collect items by beating up monsters in the hope of making an elixir. The action is an 2 player old-school style single screen brawler where you fight waves and waves of enemies until you reach a boss. Between levels you can do some light crafting for better items and hopefully the elixir of life. Curses N’ Chaos supports Cross-Buy on PSN. Is there anything that makes the Vita version different from the PS4 version? (Making use of the Vita’s unique inputs/ Multi-Player etc) Nope, both versions are identical! I have to say though, it 10 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
feels like a perfect fit on the Vita. We definitely made it with the Vita in mind. How have you found developing for the PlayStation Vita? Any trials and tribulations that you have faced during the development cycle? The game had to be completely recoded from C# to C++ so developing the game allowed us to rework our engine and tools. Once we achieved this is it was pretty easy to port it to more devices. With regard to developing on Vita we'd all started our careers making games for GBA and DS so making a game for a handheld console again felt like a bit of a homecoming for us. :) If the support is there we'd love to continue developing for the Vita! All of your games (Wizorb, Mercenary Kings and Curses N’ Chaos) have a distinctly beautiful and colourful 8-bit aesthetic. What are your fondest memories from that particular era of gaming and what drew you towards this look for your games? I think some of my fondest memories would be wondering into any new arcade as a kid. The mystery of not knowing what you'd find of thrilling! I always loved playing something I'd never heard of and doing your best to finish it.The trial by fire of playing a new game, especially with a friend is
a treasured memory for sure. We really wanted to capture that feeling here too. It's only similar in some surface ways to Curses 'n Chaos but I loved Cadash. I played it so much one summer eventually me and a friend were able to finish it with 1 credit each! Speaking of Mercenary Kings, any exclusive news or updates you can give us and our readers around how the PlayStation Vita version is coming along? I know there are a lot of gamers who are eagerly anticipating its release! It's our most asked question! We're working on it. It's a pretty complex game so it requires additional attention, but we want it to happen. Even though we now have the proof we're able to make games for the Vita it eventually boils down to just a lot of brute force coding.
are you looking forward to? I'm a massive fan of Monster Hunter, so I just finished playing Monster Hunter 4U. I was kind of sad that series shifted away from Sony platforms. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on PSP might be the game I've clocked the most hours into, easily over 800+. Recently I was lucky enough to find a used copy of Dragon Quest III for Gameboy Color. The animations in that game are pretty staggering for such an old game.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak to us today. Is there anything you wish to add or say to The Vita Lounge’s audience before you go? Thank you to all our fans What is it about the PlayStation Vita that for supporting us! We hope to make more makes it unique to the other consoles games for the Vita. that you develop for? Is there anything you would change about the system’s architecture to make life easier for yourself? No, I wouldn't really change anything. Its a great system. Can you tell us what games on the handheld (if any) you have been playing in your spare time? What are your favourite PS Vita games? And which ones The Vita Lounge Magazine | 11
TVL MAGAZINE
WE CHAT WITH NATHAN VELLA, FROM CAPYBARA GAMES, ABOUT SUPER TIME FORCE ULTRA, ITS EXCLUSIVE PLAYSTATION CONTENT AND ITS LAUNCH ON VITA
Hi Nathan, thanks for talking to us! Can you tell us a little bit about Capybara Games and how you got into developing games? Our history is very much in my mind these days since Capy celebrates its 10 year anniversary this month! We’re a 23 person studio based in Toronto, Canada. We started out making cell phone games (like, pre-smartphone cell phone) but transitioned to making our own original stuff part way through. We’re a tight-knit group of artists, programmers, designers, producers… and one audio guy. My personal path into game dev came through film & tv. I studied film at Ryerson University in Toronto, where I met two of the four other Capy co-founders. After finishing school, I went into post-production for Canadian television, but really didn’t enjoy it. I always wanted to make videogames, but there were almost no studios in Toronto at the time. That was when a small group of us decided to start making games on the side, sort of like a hobby. From there, we turned ‘making games on the side’ into ‘starting a full time studio’. And the rest is history! The game looks so interesting. Can you explain what Super Time Force Ultra is all about? Super Time Force Ultra is a crazy action videogame that is pretty much off the rails at all times. It has the feel and tight controls of old-school platforming action games from the classic era, but then we throw a big ol’ time travelling monkey wrench in the middle of it. Amidst all the jumping, shooting and explosions, we give players the god-like ability to stop time and rewind back through the level, kinda like moving the play bar in a youtube video. Players can look back through what they did and choose when to jump back into the timeline with a new character. They can go back 3 seconds, or 30. When they do, however, it’s not simply a do-over, or a continue, they are actually fighting alongside their previous selves in the past. Everything they did in 12 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
those previous attempts with other characters, will all happen again, over and over. Players are adding more firepower to the level, new character abilities, strategy know-how and total mayhem. By the end of a level there could be 30 versions of yourself blowing everything to heck at the same time. We call it Single Player Co-op. Also you blow up robots and dinosaurs and angels and more robots. What was the inspiration behind the game? What games would you describe it as a mix of? The sorta obvious inspirations for us were games from our childhood like Contra, Gunstar Heroes and Mega Man. But the actual prototype for the game was born at a 3-day game jam with the theme of: What just happened? That theme informed the idea of a platformer where you could go back and look at what just happened and then literally jump in at that moment and change the outcome. It’s a pretty mind-blowing concept that constantly surprises and reveals depth, and the fact that it’s mixed with a game genre that everyone sorta has a history with makes it very approachable. The PlayStation versions include many exclusive characters, including WWS President, Shuhei Yoshida. What was the thinking behind these characters? The thinking was pretty simple, honestly. We knew that the game had come out on other platforms before PS4 & VITA, so we wanted to give PlayStation fans a little something special. Initially we sat down to brainstorm what characters to include, and we were discussing how great it would be to have one ‘curveball’ character to include - someone that wasn’t expected but would be a great nod to all the PlayStation players. I tossed out the idea of including Shuhei Yoshida because I knew how much hardcore PlayStation fans love him - he’s an amazing ambassador for
Sony, so much so that he’s part of the brand itself. I reached out to a friend at Santa Monica Studio, and in no time Shuhei had agreed. From there, we decided to include the traveler from Journey, and Sir Galahad from The Order , and that same friend at Santa Monica Studio helped facilitate once again. It was a super fun, super easy process from start to finish. All in all, we’re excited about the PlayStation-exclusive characters and we really hope the fans dig them. As we are talking about characters, does the game play differently when using different characters? Do you have a favourite? Absolutely it does, yes. There’s 19 different characters, each with their own unique primary and secondary attacks ranging from offensive to defensive to almost ridiculous (one character farts and then can light his farts on fire…) That’s a huge amount of character combinations in a level. But then we have a mechanic where you can save a character from dying by preventing the death from ever occurring. At that point two characters meld and their special abilities stack on top of each other, which presents an almost incalculable amount of variation.We’ve watched youtube videos of speedrunners figuring out character combos in key parts of the game that become totally devastating and we’re still getting surprised by the game. As for my favourite character, that’s pretty tough! But I guess I’ll say Re-Bot. He’s a chunky robot that shoots missiles and has cool sneakers and wears a backwards baseball cap.
Is there anything you can tell us about the PlayStation version that isn’t already known? I’m not sure if we’ve mentioned it anywhere else, but Shuhei Yoshida’s social media-based special attack contains tons of different messages, all written by Shuhei himself. We asked him to write a handful, but he came back with TONS. Unfortunately we had to edit some out because it would take up too much space to do them all (he really wrote a lot). So you can be sure that, even in Super Time Force Ultra, when Shuhei takes to social media, he’s the one writing. What made you want to bring the game to the Vita? Two simple facts: the first is the business side. Our partners at SCEA 3rd Party tried to do everything they could to make supporting VITA worthwhile for us. They wanted to make sure we saw that STFU could be a great fit for Sony’s handheld, and they wanted to make sure we had support along the way. They are a great crew and deserve all the love they get, and more. The second is the passion side. Many of us at the studio, myself included, adore our VITA’s. I probably play more on VITA than any other device - so much so that I put off getting a PS4 for a very long while. It’s a wonderful device with amazing controls and a beautiful screen. Games like STFU pop, and feel great. We wanted to see STFU on VITA really bad, and we knew fans would too. Are there any obvious differences in terms of content or performance from the Vita version to PS4?
There are some performance differences between VITA and PS4, but we’ve done our best to make sure those are minimized. I will say that the VITA version has been optimized to be playable in the bath, because our creative director Kris Piotrowski takes the most, longest baths of all time. What challenges, if any, did you have to face with Vita development? It’s not the most powerful platform, nor the fastest platform. Bringing a game from PS4 to PS VITA is never going to be easy, and of course we had our challenges. That said, none of them were particularly special - it was just a matter of optimizing like crazy, crunching down our work, and coming up with creative solutions to technical problems. A very special shoutout to Capy’s Hubert Wong, who deserves a ton of credit for STFU on PS VITA & PS4. Are there any games that stand out for you on the system? What are your favourites? I play a lot of Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 on my VITA. I am a huge fighting game fan. It’s also my portable Spelunky machine. Soundshapes from our buds Queasy Games is an incredible game, but we helped them make it so saying so seems a little weird. Steamworld Dig is another huge time sink for me, and Hohokum is one of my favorite games ever. What’s next for Capybara Games, and would you want to develop for the Vita again? We’re cooking on two delicious projects right now - BELOW, and Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked (in collaboration with our friends at Klei). Both are entirely different, but super exciting games. The Vita Lounge Magazine | 13
TVL MAGAZINE
BENJAMIN RIVERS, DEVELOPER OF HOME A UNIQUE HORROR ADVENTURE, TALK WITH US ABOUT HIS UPCOMING GAME ALONE WITH YOU
Hi Ben! Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. How did you get into developing games? A whole bunch of would-be developers here in Toronto stumbled into a perfect storm of community support, new initiatives, availability of development middleware and burgeoning digital platforms back in 2007 and 2008. I was one of the foolhardy folks who thought they had a chance at finally being a game developer, and thankfully my stubbornness (along with the aforementioned factors) helped make it true. Your next Vita project is Alone with You. What can you tell us about the game? I'm calling it a "sci-fi romance adventure" — it's an exploratory, narrative-focused adventure game with a very oddball dating element that I think people will find surprisingly intriguing. If my previous game, Home, was a monologue, then Alone With You is a conversation — between you and the AI you work with, as well as the holographic colonists with whom you share more intimate moments. Imagine playing a point-and-click adventure game with Persona Lite thrown in, and you're halfway there. But true to form, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Can you tell us what to expect in terms of gameplay? Similar to Home, Alone With You is all about exploring an environment. It's less linear, though, and as you choose story-based missions, you learn more about the doomed terraforming colony you're trying to escape, as well as the people who lived there. You'll scan things using your trusty all-purpose scanning device, and the AI will synthesize that information and tell you more about whatever you're looking at. But of course, since the colony is on its last legs, getting around won't always be straightforward, so you'll have to think your way through some obstacles to get the 14 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
items you need. All the while, you'll be chatting with the AI, answering questions and making decisions, and seeing the repercussions of those choices in, I hope, surprising ways. You are also developing a PS4 version. Will there be any notable differences between the two? Will you be using any of the Vita inputs at all? The structure of the game is being designed to feel comfortable both on the big screen and on Vita. So on Vita, its mission-based system means you can play in small chunks and not feel pressured to keep going if you want to put it down for a bit. I want the Vita version to feel like a good book that you chip away at when you have time (although it will be small enough that you can plow through the game in one longer sitting too — a real page-turner, I hope!). I am also hoping to throw a few surprises in there for Vita owners, but I don't want to spoil anything just yet. Lately we have experienced many delays to Vita versions of PSN games. Can we expect both versions of Alone with You together? Oh boy! That's a loaded question, and I honestly won't be able to tell you until closer to launch. :-) The ideal is that both versions launch day and date with each other, but with such a small team, resources are precious, and it will all depend! What games have inspired you during development? Alone With You is meant to feel like a weird old Sega CD game, with its vibrant colour palette, full-screen cutscenes and unique take on 2D art. I am always and forever inspired by the laser-focused, mind-expanding narrative games of my youth, including obvious touchstones like Another World.
How have you found developing for the Vita? Would you recommend it to other developers that have not brought any titles over yet? Well, the game is being developed as PS4 first (because it's just easier to test on), but because I'm using Game Maker Studio, playing it on Vita is, for the most part, just a compile button away. The Vita is a wonderful little system, but of course developers have to be careful of where they place their resources, and what they're making. I think a PS4/Vita combo is the way to go. Having those PlayStation-quality controls and that nice big screen sure make it a wonderful system to play your own game on. Home has recently launched. How have you found the reception to the game? Fantastic! Home on PlayStation, as you know, is not the first iteration of that game, but I was honestly surprised at the appetite for it from the PlayStation community. Vita owners seem to really love it — I mean, they are very passionate about it — although it's on PS4 where it's seeing the lion's share of sales. Compared to other platforms, the positive vibes and genuine curiosity in the game has been a very pleasant discovery.
Is there anything you have learned from Home’s release that will help with Alone with You? Ohhhh yes. Everything. What to do, what not to do — that, especially. Home was a hilarious comedy of errors as I ran the trials of becoming a game developer live, in real time. With Alone With You I have been much more prepared and organized, although it too is providing lots of curveballs and challenges. The biggest lesson I learned was that working with a team may prevent possible madness. Ask your doctor. What Vita experiences have impressed you the most? I was surprised how much I enjoyed zoning out to Proteus on my Vita with headphones, especially in a crowded environment, or at a park. And of course, my 60+ hours in Persona 4 Golden represent my best moments with the system. Will we see any more Vita games from you in the future? That certainly depends! I love the little guy and I hope there's a place for original independent titles on it for a long time to come. The idea of making games that feel different depending on location is one that continues to interest me, so I hope so! The Vita Lounge Magazine | 15
TVL MAGAZINE
DRIVE!DRIVE!DRIVE! IS AN UPCOMING RACER WITH A DIFFERENCE - YOU'LL NEED TO MANAGE MULTIPLE CARS ON DIFFERENT TRACKS! WE SPOKE TO GORDON MIDWOOD FROM DIFFERENT CLOTH TO FIND OUT MORE.
Hello Gordon, thanks for talking with us! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and Different Cloth, and how you got into developing games? Hello, a pleasure for sure. I would certainly be happy to talk about myself for a few hours / days, no problem! My name is gordon, I like to spell it with a lowercase g, and I got into developing games via a love for them and the onset of browser based games technology (i.e. Flash) around the turn of the millennium (i.e. in 2000). I used to work in advertising, for which I apologise, but I always had a passion for games so I would create side projects in my spare time and stick them up on the web somewhere. When the iPhone arrived I started Different Cloth as an (almost) proper company & made a rhythm game called lilt line which did pretty well critically but disastrously commercially. That gave me a taste of things to come and I wanted more!
Drive!Drive!Drive! is your current project, and is certainly very ambitious! Can you explain a little more about what gamers can expect? Drive!Drive!Drive! is a driving game where you have to race multiple tracks at the same time. I tend to describe it as a mixture between arcade racing and track management, in that you have to hop between a number of tracks (up to 6!) to manage the races in order to position as high as you can. You control one race at a time, and while you do so the (incompetent) AI takes over the other ones for you... What games have been the driving force behind the game? What inspired you to go for the multiple track mechanic? The 2 things that really inspired me to create the game were playing Hot Wheels track sets with my kids and the ancient but thoroughly excellent racing game Stunt Car Racer. The multiple track mechanic is something that came to me in a dream I think, I woke up with the idea in any case. I considered it to be an excellent but inherently tricky game to make, so I stuck it in my secret game idea place for later use!
In 2010 I managed to secure funding to work with Ronzo to create the world’s very first underwater paper craft game with a dopey shark called Derrick in it, namely Derrick the Deathfin. That game came out on PS3, PC, Mac & Linux in 2012/3 and we were very happy with it - mainly because it’s What racing/driving titles have been your favourites over the years? Are there any mechanics from those that you pretty good. would like to bring into Drive!Drive!Drive!? After that I attempted and failed to get a Kickstarter off the I’ve always loved WipeOut, in particular zone mode for the visuals and the feels. I might try to emulate that somehow. ground for a sequel to lilt line, and thereafter I decided to dedicate myself to the most ridiculous game possible that I Burnout 3 will always stand out for me as a perfect example of fast paced arcade racing too. So I will try and put a bit of had in my little notebook of ideas: Drive!Drive!Drive! that in the game. Lastly Stunt Car Racer was an incredible impossible tracks in the sky type of racer, which I’m already copying a bit! Is there anything new (or exclusive) that you can share with us about Drive!Drive!Drive!? Sure, well the racing can actually take place on up to 6 tracks, which is something many seem to have missed, and at the very heart of the game is a track creator. And multiplayer! Which I am working on right now actually. How has the early response to Drive!Drive!Drive! been? It has been incredible! Back in February I released a teaser trailer of the game, before which time I had no idea if 16 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
anybody would pay any attention to the game at all - or indeed whether I could secure funding to make it. Happily people seemed to love the look, the vibe, the music & the original gameplay concept - I guess driving is a genre that has been crying out for some innovation for a while now. I was inundated with meeting requests from publishers, platform holders etc perfect :D The fact that I was able to tie up a deal with my very best friends in the industry, Choice Provisions is like a dream come true for me.
considering any of cross save/buy/ play? Hopefully there will be very little difference between the 2 versions, certainly it is planned that they both have the same functionality, gameplay and options - and yes we hope to have the game cross everything but we’ll see! What made you want to develop the game for the Vita? How are you finding developing for the handheld? I personally love my Vita & love playing games on it, it’s such a great little console, so in all honesty that’s the main reason. Secondarily the ease with which you can develop on both Vita and PS4 makes it very attractive. So far I am loving it, it will be my first Vita game so I’m stoked!
Drive!Drive!Drive!'s soundtrack is being produced by the "synth/prog/ post-rock band" Zombie. How did that collaboration come about? Oooh yes, and they have a new album coming out in October, and it is As the game is still in development, are absolutely excellent - their best yet IMO. I have long been a fan of their there any ideas that haven't yet been music - stretching back 10 years or so announced that you'd like to - and when I was thinking about what implement? kind of soundtrack would suit Well multiplayer is one! There will be Drive!Drive!Drive! I immediately many different vehicles too, with thought of Zombi. After emailing and customisation options planned. Then tweeting the band they loved the idea, there are the different game modes: so we quickly sorted out the details - it time trials over multiple tracks was very easy, and I am very excited to imagine having to race 6 ghosts at have such ace and different music in once! - and there is an endless mode the game! planned too (think OutRun style checkpoints over multiple tracks). In Do you and Zombi have plans to short the answer to your question is release the soundtrack either yes, lots! We are still early in alongside the release or separately? development and have lots planned. No plans at the moment - all tracks from the game are commercially Speaking of Multiplayer, what modes are you currently thinking of? And how available already (or will be when the will the mechanic work with the tracks game comes out). Not that we’re ruling it out... - will the AI still take over? This is currently in live development, so I can’t really answer definitively but we What Vita games do you look at as a developer and consider a benchmark? do hope for a few multiplayer modes. As a fan, what would you like to see The one we are working on currently come? still has AI on the tracks you are not One of my absolute favourite Vita racing indeed, it kind of adds to the games has to be Rayman Origins, I love tactics - if you can mess up your the visuals and the levels have a multiplayer opponents AI you can be reasonably sure they’ll be less capable beautiful, almost musical flow to them. I am also a big fan of Tearaway, as a of recovery, thus forcing opponents to fellow paper craft game creator I know have to switch tracks to deal with it, how tough that can be - such a leaving them vulnerable on the track they’ve just left... Hopefully a pleasant gorgeous game. Of the indie titles on Vita I would have to give Sound Shapes kind of mania will ensue! a mention too, love its musical approach to creation. The game is also coming to the PS4. Will there be any notable differences As a fan on Vita what I would between the versions? Are you
absolutely like to see is more games of all kinds, ideally more specifically developed for it too.
This is you first project as Different Cloth, but it isn't your first game - most notably you previously released the PS3 title Derrick the Deathfin under the guise of Different Tuna. Has that boat sailed for you, or would you consider a Vita port of Derrick the Deathfin? Actually Drive!³ is my second commercial game as Different Cloth, the first being lilt line which came out on iOS and WiiWare. Derrick the Deathfin was produced as Different Tuna for regional funding reasons, essentially it was myself and Ronzo behind the game. And we love that game so much still! We would love to bring it to Vita for sure, we have been asked about doing that so many times, if someone were to fund it we would do it at the drop of a hat! How big is the team at Different Cloth? It is really just me! I tend to collaborate with different people on a project basis. On Drive!Drive!Drive! I am working with Clemens Scott from Broken Rules on the visuals, Ten24 for 3d modelling, Zombi for the music... What would you say to any indie developer looking to bring their game to the Vita? I would advise them to do it, as there is an enthusiastic and game-hungry audience on Vita who seem to dig cool & different stuff. Is there anything you'd like to say to the Vita owners reading this? Two things: 1. Your path is one of righteousness 2. If you like new things & fun keep your eyes open for Drive!Drive!Drive! when it comes out next year! We would like to thank gordon for his time with this interview and we certainly can't wait to find out more about Drive!Drive!Drive! Stay tuned to TVL for more news and make sure you follow gordon on Twitter @differentcloth! The Vita Lounge Magazine | 17
EGX IS THE UK'S LARGEST GAMING SHOW AND WE SENT PAUL AND CHARLIE TO PLAY SOME UPCOMING VITA GAMES. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM HERE!
You've probably heard of Eurogamer, or possibly their more American-centric sister website, US Gamer. Since their formation around the turn of the century they've grown quite considerably into a gaming media power-house and since 2008 have actually hosted their own UK gaming events. This year it was held in Birmingham, rather than London, for the first time and we were there! It was a great show with over 75,000 attendees over the four days, but was it a great showcase for the Vita?
If you went - or were expecting - something showing off the Vita, you'll have been disappointed. With a solitary two Vita units - featuring Tearaway and Velocity2X - this
Action Henk Developed by Rage Squid and coming to PlayStation by those talented people at Curve, Action Henk has more than 70 levels for you to Run, jump and butt-slide around the glorious toy-filled world around you! You'll need to become a master of momentum and defy physics as you race against a band of ragged 90s action figures to once and for all prove that Action Henk is the fastest of them all! With the ability to race your friend's ghosts, unlock other characters whilst listening to a "pumping" soundtrack by demo scene musician Wiklund, there is sure to be something for everyone here. 18 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
was an extremely pitiful showing from SCEE. To make matters worse, on the day we attended the units weren't even working. There were as many Vita's in the PlayStation section as there were PSOne, Two and Threes. To make matters worse, on the Saturday Shuhei Yoshida took to the stage and confirmed that a future Sony handheld was unlikely, but we'll cover that in a future issue.
Despite the lack of support from Sony at EGX, which is now no longer a surprise, there was actually more than a modicum of interest in the system and although not all were playable on our handheld of choice there were actually twelve games at the show that will be coming to the system. Read on as we tell you all about them!
Mighty No 9 We have since learned that while the console version is coming in February, we've still got a bit of a delay with the handheld version. The game has had a bit of a troubled journey so far, but that hasn't deterred the many gamers that are looking forward to what is ultimately a reimagining of Mega Man for the 21st Century. You star as Beck, the titular "Mighty No. 9" unit and your quest is to defeat the other 8 "Mighty" units across a variety of different levels. The game gained more than $4 million on Kickstarter, so there's clearly some interest in this.
Steamworld Heist A game about space adventures and strategic shootouts, you'll be playing as Captain Piper in this turn-based platformer and you are tasked with recruiting a team of rag-tag robots to explore and scavenge the remains of a destroyed world. Set in the same universe as Steamworld Dig, but it's not a sequel as such, especially since there is no digging in the game! Gameplay includes boarding enemy spaceships and commanding your crew with turn-based combat, and your own skill will ultimately determine the outcome. If you love strategy games and adored the previous games in the Steamworld series then you'll be wanting to keep an eye of for this one.
De Mambo We didn't get long with this little party title from The Dangerous Kitchen, but what we did play convinced us that we need it. Described as a mix of Smash Bros. and Breakout, you only need one actual button to attack, and charging it will execute different moves. As you smash into your opponents, the environment around you will start breaking away. It's a little crazy and incredibly addictive, just like all party games should be. With plans for online multiplayer and a crazy single player mode, we can't wait to see more of De Mambo!
VA-11 HALL-A Tyler played a little of this "Waifu Bar-tending game" at PAX Prime, and Ysbyrd Games had a build for us to experience too. It's a little strange in many ways, but you'll need to pay attention when the order comes in for the drink, which you'll need to concoct and mix yourself and before long you'll find yourself immersed in the story. With more things to do than bar tend, this is more of a Visual Novel style life simulator than it might look and could well keep you entertained for quite sometime. I'm certainly more interested in it than I was.
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Superbeat Xonic Described as a spiritual successor to DJ MAX, this upcoming rhythm game had me an Charlie playing for some time, and if you are a fan of the musical genre it could well keep you hooked too! With more than 45 different tracks and over 200 different beat combinations it'll certainly be different each time you play! Developed by the team behind the popular PSP title DJ Max Fever, those of you that love games with a little music in them will want to keep an eye out for this later this year.
Four Sided Fantasy Unfortunately, we weren't able to experience this clever platformer as the demo wasn't running which is a shame because it looks very interesting. With the use of screen wrap you can use elements in the screen to your advantage and is very much about playing to your limitations. With the ability to enhance your abilities and featuring a "crisp art style" and "mesmerising music" we certainly can't wait to find out more.
Shu Shu is a 2.5D side-scrolling platformer that is coming to the Vita from the creative minds at Secret Lunch with a little help from Coatsink Software. The hands on that I had with the game introduced me to three of the characters that you will meet in Shu and I soon learnt that each character has their own special ability that you will need to make use of in order to progress. I played in a forest-like level and met characters that added the ability to double-jump, glide and run on water to my party. When you meet a character Shu will grab a hold of their hand (or beard) and will drag them through the level with him trying to keep them away from the storm that chases you through each stage. If the storm does catch you then it will eat one of the characters that form a part
of your party – meaning that you lose them and their ability for good! Shu is a beautiful looking title that has a stunning, hand-drawn artstyle. If you are a fan of the platform genre, then keep your eyes out for this beauty!
Strength of the Sword Strength of the Sword from Ivent Games was another game that was a pleasant surprise when I played it at EGX. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, this title is heading to the PlayStation Vita and the best way I can think to describe it is like a cross between Infinity Blade and Dark Souls. Although SotS is not as dark as the Souls series, it is definitely a challenging title - don't let the cartoon-esque visuals fool you! This game is both beautiful and brutal, and if it looks as good when it releases on the handheld then you will be in for a treat!
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YIIK One of the games that I enjoyed the most at EGX was Ackk Studios’ YIIK. Best described as a modern-world RPG that feels a lot like Zelda or Persona, the game features platforming elements, puzzles and, of course, dungeons. The battle system is turn-based but each character has a unique play style, with one character using records to attack that sees a turntable appear on the screen and you will have to hit sweetspots on the LP to increase the power and combo of this attack. The build of YIIK that I played looked gorgeous, and after speaking with the dev I was told that the game looks even better on the latest build that they have. Having not really
taken much notice of YIIK previous to playing it at EGX, I can now say that this title is very much on my radar!
Oddworld New n' Tasty I have been looking forward to seeing Oddworld Inhabitant’s Oddworld: New n’ Tasty on the PlayStation Vita for some time – and at EGX I got my hands on a build of the title running on the system. The game looks and plays great on the PlayStation Vita, and although it was a little buggy (which the developer did advise me it would be) I found the port to be extremely playable with not many notable compromises from the console versions. If you are a fan of Abe, or are wondering what the Oddworld series is all about, then be sure to pick this up the minute it launches on the PlayStation Vita!
Poncho
looks like you will need to playthrough Poncho a number of times in order to fully experience the game!
Set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by nature, Poncho is about a robot on a quest to find his maker and to find answers about the devastation around him. Adorned with a Poncho, you must help this mechanical hero overcome impossible odds and discover the secret inside him that could help save humanity! The game itself is extremely clever and intuitive. A 2D platformer with 3D parallax layers, I found myself quickly switching from the forefront of the screen into the background to collect treasure or to get around obstacles. Poncho looks to be great fun, and with no levels as such (the game lets you choose your own path from the start of the game) it
If that's not enough, here are three more that might come to the Vita...
Induction
Originally planned for a PSM release, developer Bryan Gale would love to bring his temporal puzzle game to the Vita in the future. He should, it's ace.
Eitr
Eitr is awesome, and one of the questions that Eneme Entertainment get asked the most is will they do a Vita version. They want to, they love the handheld. It's all about timing and money. So someone pick it up!
Dead of Day
Currently on Kickstarter and featuring a PSVita stretch goal of £100,000, Dead of Day is a game where you try to survive a zombie apocalypse. Build a base, get a team and search for supplies.
REVIEWS 23
Back to Bed
28
Curses 'n Chaos
36
One Piece Pirate Warriors 3
24
Velocibox
30
The Bridge
38
The Quiet Collection
32
Amnesia: Memories
40
Xeodrifter
34
Shutshimi: Seriously Swole
42
Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal
26
Super Time Force Ultra
OUR SCORING POLICY:
5 OUTSTANDING
Full marks indicates an almost perfect game- or at least as close as it can be. It will almost certainly be the best example of what can be achieved on the Vita and simply must be in your collection. It could also be argued that these games are worth buying a Vita for. That’s if there were loads of them, it will also be very rare to see a game get this score.
4+ EXCELLENT
Scoring above 4 means that this is something that should definitely be in your collection. These games are very good indeed, and serve as great examples of what can be achieved on the Vita.
3+ GOOD
On a five star scale a three is slap bang in the middle and above average. We class these games as good. Perseverance will yield some some fun. These games may suffer with slight presentational issues or have cut back features.
2+ POOR
1+
Hardcore fans of the series or genre may find something worthwhile but generally speaking this is one to avoid.
RUBBISH
The genre may be to your tastes but try as you might you will struggle to enjoy the game.
The Vita Lounge Magazine | 22
REVIEW BACK TO BED
Reviewed by James Aquilina III 0
4
12
265 MB
Starting from a student project, Back to Bed comes from Bedtime Digital Games and is co-developed by Sony subsidiary Loot Interactive (codevelopers of Velocibox and Whispering Willows). It tells a tale of a man named Bob who suffers from narcolepsy and whose dreams are composed of something that resembles one of M.C. Escher’s famous paintings (check Google if you somehow don’t know who he is). Checkerboard floors, melting clocks, flying bowler hats, eyeballs looking through window frames, and random tentacles are what fill the world around Bob and give this game a whimsical and strange atmosphere. You play as Bob’s teal colored, goatlike, escort in the dream world. I really don’t know what to call it so let’s go with Bob-goat. It’s up to you playing as Bob-goat to guide the sleepwalking Bob through the platforms and stairs, making sure he doesn’t walk right off the edge. You’re able to pick up a large green apple and place it in the way of Bob to change his direction to lead him through a door and, as the name implies, back to bed. The game lets you know with a drowsy sounding voice-over that “sleepwalkers turn clockwise,” so every time Bob bumps into an object or wall he will turn accordingly. This is the main gameplay of Back to Bed. Bob slowly sleepwalks around in a straight line until either an object changes his direction clockwise or he steps right off the edge like a character from a Road Runner cartoon. Simple yet effective. There are a few different obstacles that can get in your way during Bob’s dreams. You’ll encounter walking clocks (which are reminiscent of the playing card army from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland) that you can trick into walking right off the edge to their
demise; dogs, though they can’t be fooled as easily; the occasional hole in the floor; tubes with lips on the end that blow out air forcing Bob to be thrown off course; fish you can pick up and place across gaps to create new paths; whale trains and tracks that Bob can’t cross or he’ll be run over; and portals that allow you to teleport around the puzzle. Despite these inventive aesthetics, it seemed as though an obstacle was introduced only to add something more to the game rather than based on necessity, and I never felt that these additions culminated in a clever way. I would have liked to see each obstacle strewn together in an interesting level design instead of used as a seemingly one time only trope. An interesting feature to the gameplay, which was very welcoming in my opinion, was the ability to speed up time. Triangle is the fast forward button and holding it down allows the slumbering Bob to accelerate around the platforms at a much faster pace. This helped in many cases when I had to replay a puzzle a few times and was losing patience. This easily could have been an annoying aspect to the game and am thankful it was included. Only taking me an hour and a half to beat the 30 levels, the game left a lot to be desired. I couldn’t believe a $15 game was that short. I didn’t want my adventures with Bob-goat to end so soon. It felt like I had just warmed up and was getting into a groove with the mechanics and puzzle style. Luckily, after completing my first play through the nightmare mode was unlocked. It is essentially a new game plus, the same levels only this time you have to acquire a key before you can exit and reach the bed. For the hardcore puzzle gamers that want punishing levels, this is the mode for you. For my personal taste though I became quickly frustrated trying to figure out how I was supposed to manage retrieving the key and avoid walking off the edge in most cases.
I thought the first 30 levels on normal mode were fairly easy. I also don’t believe I’m very good at puzzle games so when the nightmare mode was introduced as a new game plus the juxtaposition in difficulty was jarring. My expectations rose immediately after the first few minutes of playing as I imagined the insane puzzles I was going to have to solve later. When I imagined insane though I wasn’t anticipating rage inducing. It quickly sucked the fun out of the experience, and I was instead left with the urge to throw my Vita across the room. Balancing the difficulty in games is a hard thing to nail down, and this is where Back to Bed fails to accomplish something great. I was left in the ether of the normal puzzles being too simple and the nightmare puzzles being agonizingly tough. The saddest part about this game is that it does so many things right but in the end drops the ball. It nails the ambiance of a psychedelic world. The gameplay mechanics are straight, to the point and easy to learn quickly, and the subtle story they weaved into such a small game is actually an engrossing allegory for the struggles of day to day life. But an overall let down of clever level designs combined with bad difficulty balancing make this game more of a missed opportunity. The game shines brightest with its quirkiness and appealing graphics, and that does go a long way in making this game very unique. Taking an iconic art style that is synonymous with mindbending puzzles and crafting that into an actual interactive puzzle game is a brilliant idea. But having a great idea just isn’t enough.
Back to Bed is an audacious take on the puzzle platformer genre. Appealing graphics and a clever albeit mild story weren't enough to cover up the lack of truly inventive puzzles. It's not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but its short duration and uneven difficulty doesn't match up with its unique world. Presentation
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This is also where the game meets its (taking a coined phrase from the game) whale roads.
Gameplay
The Vita Lounge
Execution
3.2
REVIEW VELOCIBOX
Reviewed by Brad Gruetzmacher
1
2
11
77.1 MB
Years ago I was first introduced to a charming little game called, The Impossible Game. It was simple, fun, and brutally hard. In fact, as its name claims, it was pretty near impossible to actually play. Death was a certainty and getting through each level was more luck than it was skill. Velocibox is the spiritual successor to that other impossible game. It’s fast, brutal, unforgiving, and I can’t stop playing it.
to it. That instant restart often times made me play for an additional 20 minutes even after I wanted to rage quit. Maybe I’m just too stubborn to know when the game has me beat, but I wasn’t going to give up. Sure my average run may only last around five seconds, but once everything clicks and I made it to the next level, the feeling was absolutely exhilarating.
Velocibox is a minimalist endless runner. In the game, you control a cube as it speeds down an infinite hallway. Coming at you are various obstacles that you need to steer around. If you touch anything, it’s game over and back to the beginning. The goal is to collect as many pick-ups as possible to earn enough points and advance to the next level. Though, once you get to the next level, things get faster and even more dangerous. If the obstacles on Level 3 are near impossible, the ones waiting for you in Level 4 will shatter your soul.
Velocibox offers two different modes to choose from. You can select either ranked or free-play. In free-play you select any of the levels you’ve already unlocked and try to beat it. When you collect enough pick-ups, you advance to the next level which will then be unlocked in the selection menu.
One thing that makes Velocibox so appealing is that in addition to its extreme difficulty, it is also insanely simple to understand. You control the cube and make it go left or right. Once you hit the wall, continuing in that direction will make you climb and rotate the room. Your only other option is to hit the X button to instantly flip the room over and jump to the other side. The controls are tight and precise. All you need to do is survive. Best of all, when you die (which happens frequently) the game starts back up instantly; no wait time, no loading screen; just another quick go to try and defeat the level that just killed you. It has that ultimate “one more try” feel 24 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
Ranked is the mode that lets you compare your skills with other players from around the world. You start at the beginning of level one and try to score as many points as possible in just one run. This is the mode that separates the boys from the men… or men from the women? Girls from the women? Whatever. It separates the weak from the strong. It’s the mode that shows me just how bad I am at this game. I try and try but my name just will not climb the leaderboard. And when I look at some of the top scores, some of which are 50x higher than my best, I curl up in a fetal position and cry in the corner.
The graphics in Velocibox may be minimalist, but they really work for the game. The simple shapes and straight lines help to build an environment that is filled with challenges but free from distractions. This is important when the pace of the game picks up and any additional fluff would only get in the way. In contrast to the art, the music is a thumping electronic soundtrack that gets the heart pounding. It reminds me of the Daft Punk score for TRON: Legacy. I love it.
as opposed to skill. But the difficulty is subjective, and while I find it a bit on the unfair side, others might find it suits them perfectly well.
fast as I needed it to. This only adds to the frustration.
Overall though, I really liked Velocibox. I must be a glutton for punishment. I The other issue I had was that there group this game in with The Impossible are times when you can’t move your Game and Jet Car Stunts as a game cube fast enough to avoid death. In a that is impossibly difficult but incredibly number of places throughout the game addictive. I may never rule the top of you need to take a very specific path in the leaderboards, but I really don’t care. order to survive. There were a number With each run I’ll get a little better and of times where I knew what I had to do, hopefully one of these days my average but my little cube just wouldn’t go as session will last at least six seconds.
As much as I enjoy Velocibox, I also have a few issues with it. First, the game is hard. Perhaps a bit too hard. Too often I felt as though I was making it through a level based purely on luck
Velocibox is an incredibly difficult and addictive endless runner that is as fun as it is frustrating. This game is not for the amateur hour and novices should probably steer clear. While some of the game is more about luck than skill, ultimately only those with quick reflexes will be able to survive. It's a great pick-up and play game that will have you coming back for more. Presentation
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3.8
REVIEW SUPER TIME FORCE ULTRA
Reviewed by James Aquilina III Super Time Force Ultra is one the best games I’ve played this year. It is remarkably gorgeous, completely over the top, super fun, and hypnotically addicting. Combine that with pulsating music, smart story telling, and original, deep mechanics and you have another great addition to the Vita library. Side scrolling games have been around since the mid 80’s and Super Time Force Ultra does a lot of things you’d expect from the decades-old genre. You traverse through a level defeating enemies and collecting items along the way; if you get touched by an enemy you die, and at the end of a level there’s usually a boss or a souped-up enemy that can take a beating. What sets STFU apart and makes it absolutely insane is that it turns what used to be the concept of extra lives into something dynamic and refreshing.
Set in the distant future (when humans have developed time travel) you play as a few different members of a military squad called (you guessed it) the Super Time Force. Lead by Commander (formerly Doctor) Repeatski, it’s up to your team to stop the questionably evil Doctor Infinity – leader of the Blounbots, a peace-keeping army. The interesting thing however, is that Commander Repeatski sends your squad back in time to change the course of history hoping that it’ll help make a better tomorrow… and Doctor Infinity is just trying to stop you from dabbling in the past. His intentions aren’t really all that evil, and it creates an interesting dichotomy – but I don’t want to spoil too much here. The story is weaved between six different and memorable worlds, laid out in any order you wish to complete. Blowing up prehistoric dinosaurs one level and blasting through knights from the middle ages the next keeps the enemy 26 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
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designs feeling fresh. Playing as characters with names like Jef Leopard, Aimy Mckillin, and Shiedly Mcblocksen, it’s easy enough to realize that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously. There were countless times that I found myself laughing because of something ridiculous Doctor Repeatski said (it’s worth pointing out that he wears two eye patches), or even parts of levels themselves. One of the moments that stick out in my head is a sewer level in which you have to fight a poop boss. Is that dumb? If I’m being honest, yes it is – and some people may not enjoy it, but those who accept that it’s purposefully lame will enjoy its humor even more. It needs to be said that the game does have a learning curve, and it will take some practice for most players to get the hang of it. The controls can be a little cumbersome at times. Holding down the X button makes you jump higher but it’s not communicated very well. I found that shooting enemies on a diagonal angle became a little challenging. Once you choose to aim up and on angle it automatically moves your character too, so instead of standing still and taking a shot I kept running back and forth like a chicken with it’s head cut off. On top of that there are many ways in which you can die and after a while of being frustrated by that I realized that it was on purpose. You can be killed by touching an enemy, being shot by an enemy, running out of time on a stage, or depleting your stock of rewinds. Each level you are given thirty time-outs (that are essentially extra lives), and only when losing all of them do you get a game over. That might sound like a lot, but with the frenetic game play and multiple ways to die this number will be pushed to the limit. The good news however, is that there are also glorbs to collect in each stage to get some extra rewind; ’cause you’re going to need all the help you can get. Once you go through a level and get killed, the time-out mechanic kicks in – allowing you to re-do what you did wrong and change the outcome. If done correctly, you can save the life of your previous character and in doing so absorb and team-up with them; giving you the combined firepower of both. This is where the brilliance of the mechanic comes into play. Every stage you play gives you sixty seconds to complete it (time bonuses are strewn about to add an additional ten seconds). I found myself jumping and shooting my way
talk about some of the standout playable characters in STFU. One of the strangest is an upright dolphin that attacks with tangible echo location rings and an assault rifle. Ever more bizarre is a anthropomorphic turd named Squirty Harry who farts out a trail of methane gas. My most played as character was Sir Galahad from The Order: 1886 because of how powerful his electric induction lance is. Another PlayStation character that makes an appearance is the scarf wearing Journey avatar. And I can’t forget Sony’s President of Worldwide Studios, Mr. Shuhei Yoshida who wields his phone as his weapon, sending hearts and tweets to attack enemies with. through the stage testing out every way possible that it could be done, trying to find the fastest. Once you figure out the quickest path – dying a whole lot in the process – you use the time-out ability and replay the level with the new-found knowledge. An additional mode is added once you beat the story called the Helladeck mode. You’re given a pre-selected character and a small time limit to complete some tricky puzzles. These get very hard, very quick – and the trend of trial and error carries over here from the main game. You’ll be sitting there scratching your head for a while (until you master the mechanic of using the time-out), so brace yourself; timing is the essence of the entire game, and even more so in the Helladeck mode.
once you crack that code, it all comes together in a “light bulb moment” type of way. Super Time Force Ultra carries the proverbial old school torch and improves on it in a smart and fun way. Aside from the polished gameplay and humorous story, the game’s graphics and music are top notch. Synth-y beats that remind me of Hotline Miami bump throughout the levels and menus, never getting old. And I cannot stress enough how beautiful the game is; it’s colorful, sharp, retro look is of the highest quality and it truly captures the essence of those 8-bit and 16-bit games we have nostalgia for. I wouldn’t be doing it justice if I didn’t
All in all I found myself utilizing each character in a variety of ways; combining certain powers together can give you a huge advantage especially when fighting bosses, and adding a few PlayStation alumni was a nice added bonus.
Super Time Force Ultra is a great addition to the library and stands out (easily) as one of the better games for the handheld. The story and characters make you laugh, the gameplay – once accustomed to – is on point, the visuals and music are crazy appealing, and its a game that you will find hard to put down. I would recommend Super Time Force Ultra to anyone, so do yourself a favor and make some time for it.
Another point to be made is that none of it chugs or drops in frame rate. It’s such a tight and smooth experience that you have to be impressed by the developers over at Capy Games. They’ve really put a lot of work into the game, and it shows. At times STFU does do things at a technical level that a NES game could never do, but it does play and feel like one. It beats your ass (like a Mega Man or Castlevania game) until you discover after much patience and diligence that there’s a method to the madness – and
Super Time Force Ultra is one of my favourite PS Vita games. With interesting and amusing characters, great game play and some truly beautiful visuals and soundtrack it is one of the best games on the system and I assure you that it's a great way to pass the time.
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4.5
REVIEW CURSES ‘N CHAOS
Reviewed by lateralus2801 Brutal. The only word that best describes Tribute Games’ beat ’em up Curses ‘N Chaos. Behind the brutality is a wonderful game that will kick your teeth in and make you beg for more. Our heroes Lea and Leo have been cursed by the evil Wizard King and the only way to lift the curse is to create the Elixir of Life. This elixir requires ingredients that are only found from the corpses of the enemies you’ll be facing and it won’t be an easy task to get hold of these items.
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The key to survival is repetition and just a bit of good luck. Every wave has a pattern to it and it can be used to your advantage – so dying isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Each wave eases you in and then it gets a bit crazy towards the end. You can fight at your own pace, but keep in mind that the horde will be absolutely be unmanageable if you do not get rid of the enemies when you see them. To add to the misery, each wave is 60 seconds long and when the time is up, the Grim Reaper comes for your life and one hit will kill you (including the boss fights!!). As you progress through the game, more monsters will appear and these won’t be as easy to defeat as they were when you started the level. If the challenge is too much for you, there’s also a multiplayer mode that is cross play with the PS4 version. During release week, it took a while to get a game going, but when it did, it was complete fun. You might think that it’s a cheesy way to play but fret not, both players share the same 3 lives so it can get a bit nerve racking towards the final waves of the stage.
Curses ‘N Chaos is a throwback to the 8-bit era (graphics included) with 3 lives per stage and a game over that means you have to start that stage all over again. On the surface, this screams frustration, but it serves as a successful learning tool to navigate through the 10 waves per stage (that includes a boss fight). There are four basic moves that you will be very familiar with: regular punch, uppercut, charged punch and a flying kick. In order to be successful you’ll need to use all of these moves to stay alive and to build up combos and points. In addition to your fists and feet, there are random weapon drops that are one use and one carry only. These weapons range from a cross bow to bombs and can really save your ass when things get hairy.
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Graphically, Curses ‘N Chaos is your average 8-bit pixel game which seems to be the art of choice nowadays. It’s not particularly a bright looking game but it fits the theme quite nicely. The enemies vary from birds to annoying frogs and are not too detailed but it interesting to note that most of them end up being re-skinned and given more health to be “different” which really fits in with the 8-bit art choice. Also what gets lost in the shuffle is that when you get hit or switch out weapons, the “invincibility flicker” tends to muddle things up and it’s hard to see where you and the
items are which can mess up your rhythm, especially on a small screen like the Vita. I found this particularly annoying and everything usually went downhill after that. The soundtrack is probably the best feature of the game. Keeping with its retro theme, the audio took me back to the NES/SNES days with catchy tunes and great sound effects. The sound really complements the graphics and art direction and really makes it that much better to replay the same stages all the time.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am absolutely terrible at this game. I’ve been at it for hours and hours and I’ll make it to the boss only to crap all over myself and lose all my lives on the final wave. But for some reason (insanity?) I’m always coming back for more only to get my teeth kicked in
and be begging for more. As someone who loves and is really good at the notoriously hard Souls games, Curses ‘N Chaos puts their difficulty to shame and that’s not a bad thing. It’s highly addictive and is a must play for anyone who wants a great challenge on the go.
Don't let the difficulty scare you. Curses N Chaos is a fantastic game that takes pride in kicking the crap out of you, hoping that you'll come back for seconds. No matter how many times you will fail, you'll tell yourself "one more run".
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4
REVIEW THE BRIDGE
Reviewed by Zach Price I love puzzle games; the challenge of figuring out a given puzzle and the reward of fulfillment after completion just appeal to me. However, The Bridge is a puzzle game that does neither of these for me, and ended up simply leaving a bad taste in my mouth. In The Bridge you take control of a nameless, bearded man who awakens under a tree after an apple hits him. You then walk to his house where there are four “world” doors – each having its own respective doors that correspond to puzzle levels. You find out bits of information about the world and the protagonist after clearing each world, with a bust appearing to dole out the details.
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There is also a huge problem with The Bridge’s gameplay. The way the game works is that you use the Vita’s threeaxis gyroscope to turn the levels left and right, which tends to get old quick because you may need to turn the world multiple times to the right, to the point where your Vita is upside down. The funny bit comes when you figure out this isn’t the only way you can rotate the world; you can use the left and right bumpers to do so as well. Why’s it so funny? Well, the game doesn’t tell you this at all and the only way you’ll find out is via hitting them by mistake. Later on the game also adds an inversion mechanic – changing your character’s color and what in the world can affect him, and a veil – allowing you to control the direction of object’s gravity. Along with these, you can always hold the circle button to rewind time and correct a mistake. The funny thing here however, is that the gyroscope and rewind mechanics are the only thing explained to you at the beginning.
The story however, is so sparse and given so infrequently that I found myself not caring at all about it. Even as I knew I was approaching the end of the game, I cared so little about the narrative that I was just rushing to finish The Bridge so I could say that it was done. The biggest letdown of all comes at the end though, as you never really find out what the bridge itself is. The game is just teaming with disappointment.
I’ve already mentioned that I stumbled across bumper control by accident, and the same is true for the inversion mechanic as well. On the level that introduces it, I wandered around for around thirty minutes trying to figure it out until I accidentally tapped the “X” button and saw the world flip upside down. Explaining only part of the controls is such a glaring design flaw that it makes you wonder what was going on in the developer’s head. The game may be a puzzle game, but when entry into it is limited because you don’t even know there are additional controls there’s a problem. Even a hint would’ve been nice. 30 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
If at this point The Bridge sounds to you like the puzzle game Braid, then you are absolutely correct; The Bridge takes so much inspiration from it in terms of mechanics, story, and art that it feels like a “wannabe” of its inspiration. You’ll even be collecting keys to open doors in order to end the level. It feels like a blatant rip-off of Braid, and yet it doesn’t capture any of the same charm or feel that made that title great. Coupled with these poor gameplay designs is the poor distribution of difficulty across worlds and levels. The first three worlds add a different mechanic – the first has gyroscope, the second has the inversion, and the third has the gravity veils – with the fourth culminating in all three being used periodically. Naturally, I would want (and assume) that the puzzles to progress from easy to hard, with the very last level being the hardest challenge; but this simply isn’t the case. Even on the fourth world, the levels started off as hard, then were too easy, and the last level moved back to hard again. It felt very inconsistent and if you’re anything like me this will certainly annoy you. There is some good news with the bad though; after completion of these four worlds you unlock another set of “mirrored” worlds. These are usually the exact same world, but they have a few added limitations or objects you must use. These were actually the most challenging of all, and some of them felt rewarding after completion – yet it still faced the same problem of an inconsistent difficulty curve, and I easily found myself putting down my Vita (either out of boredom, or because too difficult of a level popped up).
All these problems are very unfortunate because one of the reasons I was drawn to The Bridge – besides it being a puzzle game – was its beautiful hand-drawn art. Seriously, it’s absolutely gorgeous. The game is in black and white and everything just pops; the artist behind the game did an amazing job, and you will constantly find yourself taking a look at the art and appreciating it. The music is also fairly good, with a perfect mixture of mystery and strangeness that suits the nature of the game. Sadly, both of these aren’t reason enough to purchase the game – or even enough to make you want to visit it again…
In the end, The Bridge is a mess. Before I was even a few hours into its roughly 15-hour story, I was wishing for it all to be over and that I was put out of my misery. The only plus is that if you do decide to buy The Bridge, after reading this you won’t have nearly as many problems with gameplay as I had since I have detailed the missing instructions. That said, between its desire to be a game that it isn’t, its missing explanation of gameplay controls and its lackluster, absent story… you will find yourself perturbed and wishing you hadn’t bought the puzzler. Even with its few good qualities – mainly the music and art – it’s hard to recommend this mess.
The Bridge has many flaws, ranging from its difficulty curve to how it introduces its mechanics -- or lack thereof. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone, unless you are really hungering for a game to play and this is your last option.
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2.5
REVIEW AMNESIA: MEMORIES
Reviewed by Liam Langan
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I’ve written a tonne of news stories about otome visual novels making their way to PlayStation Vita, but I’ve never truly had the chance to experience one for myself. With the opportunity to review Amnesia: Memories, I’m effectively taking my first step into a whole new world. You start the game as a female character, waking up to a mysterious young girl starring you in the face. This girl tells you that you’ve succumbed to amnesia, and now she is living in your head instead of your memories. The first thing you need to figure out is your name, which I chose to call myself Asuna (Sword Art Online be damned). You’re then asked to pick a world from a choice of four that you feel you belong in. It’s here that the story truly begins. While I won’t cover the individual stories in detail (as this would spoil too much), it is definitely worth playing through each one multiple times as there are at least three different endings per story. Unlocking them can be both fun and interesting, as you see how the game’s stories can shape and evolve around the alternative decisions that you make along the way. One particular aspect I found helpful in the game is that when you replay a story for the second or third time the choices you have already made and experienced are highlighted in green. With a rewind feature in tow, if you’ve already experienced all of the particular choices you can go back to your previous choice and take the other path. This makes seeing all the scenes a lot easier than doing so by memory only. The first world I started in saw me trying to hide my amnesia from my boyfriend, who is a rather stubborn and curious character named Kent. Kent is a College lecturer who has been studying the idea of relationships and dating. It is revealed that before you succumbed to Amnesia, you both had an argument about the way he was around you – and he reveals that he has vowed to change his ways. Although this was the first story I came across, there are three other interweaving stories within the game – each taking around 2-3 hours to finish at normal reading speed. Each of these stories present you with a new male companion, starting with a new predicament for the protagonist and therefore presenting a new story (with countless amounts of new scenarios for you to play through). 32 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
Speaking of choices, they are the main focus when it comes to gameplay. The main thing to take into account when playing Amnesia: Memories is that this is a visual novel, so there is plenty of reading to be done. You’ll also need to make decisions based on what has been read, which will then decide the fate of the characters in the story. Whilst on the subject of the characters, the cast is quirky and fun. They all have their own unique personalities, and it really feels like you can make a bond with them. Even though all of the guys in the game seem to act like jerks initially, you’ll soon find yourself adjusting to their attitudes as their stories unfold around you. You’ll also develop your own feelings towards the protagonist as you realise her struggle in attempting to regain her memories. The art direction of the game is stunning; each character is beautifully detailed and the environments uniquely drawn. The main let down when it comes to presentation is the sound design. The soundtrack is easily forgettable and can often be repetitive and annoying. Also, the voice-overs are Japanese language only, which I found to be quite a let down. Outside of the main story mode the game offers a series of mini-games including Rock, Paper, Scissors as well as an air hockey mode. These are both fun and interesting enough
to keep you entertained for a couple of matches of each mode, but you can easily pass on them. There are also art galleries and character bios for you to unlock as well – should you desire to put the effort in to unlock them. As my first foray into visual novels Amnesia: Memories actually left a good impression on me. Each story was
different and interesting enough to keep me entertained, and the depth of each story was thrilling and exciting. I’d definitely recommend picking up Amnesia: Memories if you’re thinking of trying out visual novels for the first time, or if you’re a fan of the genre then I highly recommend it.
Amnesia: Memories was my first foray into Visual Novels and has left me wanting more of from the genre, its unique story and interesting cast will keep you entertained and hooked on the game, with multiple ending and several unlockable bonuses Amnesia: Memories is a worthwhile addition to your Vita collection.
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3.9
REVIEW SHUTSHIMI: SERIOUSLY SWOLE
Reviewed by Zach Price I didn’t really know what to expect from Shutshimi: Seriously Swole when I booted it up; I had seen some of the gameplay trailers (and my interest had been piqued), but I also didn’t think its simple gameplay structure would hold my attention for very long. I was wrong.
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Some of the items are awesome and have really cool references, a lot of them particularly referring to anime like Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon. They’re bound to give you a good chuckle when you come across the crazy ones too, like a bounce house or a disco. It’s absurd, but I loved the hodgepodge of silliness and references.
Shutshimi has you take control of one of five fish in an effort to fight off the invaders of your homeland. This is the only story that you are given, and the rest of the game is pure gameplay. While I enjoy stories very much in video games (they are the primary reason I buy games), something can be said for the act of just going around killing these monsters as a goldfish – and I ended up loving it! The game is all over the place in the best possible way, and you can tell that the developers really loved making it; putting tons of effort into making it the game they envisioned in their childhood. The main goal of the game is to rack up as many points as possible, by surviving as long as possible. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Shutshimi is a game where you have to think and decide what you’re going to do quickly. There are always a few rounds before you encounter a boss, each with its own fighting style and (as usual), you have ten seconds. However, if you don’t defeat the boss, you will play through a few more rounds until it returns. That said, a word to the wise; if you’re looking to max out the high score on the seriously swole bicep in the lower right, you’ll need to defeat him on first encounter – something easier said than done!
The gameplay of Shutshimi is simple; you choose your goldfish from five different colored fish with different stats (the stats don’t really mean anything and are usually quirky random qualities that change for each fish on each playthrough), then you begin your rounds. The rounds last around ten seconds – at which point you’re given three random “loot” drops that can either augment or diminish your chances of surviving the next round. On top of that, the items have varying texts that may or may not give you a hint as to what they do; so you’re really gonna have to memorize what each one does as you clock in the hours. 34 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
This shoot’em up is very hard to beat. There are a handful of bosses in the game and making it through to the final one is a worthy challenge – something I only did once in my playthroughs, and I wasn’t even able to beat it. I loved the challenge though, and continued coming back for more. There’s even a few modes for the more hardcore players. You can play the game’s Hardcore mode, where you only get one life (as opposed to the three in Normal mode) – meaning you’re going to have to be even more decisive and quick than you are when playing in Normal mode. Then there is Boss Rush, my personal favorite mode. You are also given one life and you skip over the hoards of enemies in favor of just fighting the bosses one after the other. With its absent story, it was one of the game modes I turned to while sitting and watching television. I could focus on both and really enjoy my time.
Shutshimi is cross-buy with the PlayStation 4 version, and I decided to give it a shot as well to see how it held up. I was disappointed to see that Vita had gotten some things cut from its version, primarily being co-op. While it’s couch co-op on the PS4, and not possible on Vita for obvious reasons, I would have liked to see some sort of online co-op available. It would have made the game more easily accessible to those that aren’t as good, and would have just made it easier to unlock the modes I mentioned above. To me, it was a real missed opportunity and I hope that we see it patched in some point in the future – but that isn’t enough of a reason not to look into this game in my opinion.
Looking to the soundtrack, it’s stellar and features countless songs for your long sessions with the game, – every level having a different random song. There are some letdowns though; the songs only last ten seconds because that’s how long the rounds last. However, there are some items that can cause the time spent on that particular round to be shorter or longer. The soundtrack speeds up when it is shorter, but it plays the normal ten seconds when it is longer – leaving you with about five or so seconds of awkward silence. Maybe the developer didn’t think about this, but it took me out of the experience and I really wish they had just made the soundtrack slower to give a sense of it taking forever.
Despite this blemish, the soundtrack is amazing, giving a 64-bit era feel that compliments the game’s equally retroeque graphics, which may not be the prettiest thing you’ll see on you Vita, but it certainly isn’t the worst. Overall, I enjoyed my time with Shutshimi: Seriously Swole. The game is so over-the-top and ridiculous that I couldn’t believe it existed. The bottom line is that, despite some of its flaws and missing features, it’s a good game, and it’s perfect for just relaxing on the couch and playing in your downtime. That said, once beaten, I don’t foresee anyone returning very often to continue defending this goldfish’s homeland.
Shutshimi: Seriously Swole is a game that is worthy of your time if you enjoy shoot'em ups. It'll hold your attention till you beat it, but that's about it. This game, however, does not hold the power to convert a non shoot'em up fan to being a loyal disciple. It's a skip if you are one of these people.
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3.9
REVIEW ONE PIECE PIRATE WARRIORS 3
Reviewed by Charlie Large
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Somewhat of a reboot in the series, One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 goes back to the beginning of the 18 year old anime – making it a welcome entry point for newcomers to the series. Starting with a recap of how Gold Roger the Pirate King’s death ignited the search for the great One Piece treasure (kick-starting the Great Age of Pirates), we see Luffy grow from a youngster to an adolescent gathering his crew in order to set sail and join the race to find the aforementioned treasure.
endless swarm of basic enemies – ranging from other Pirate clans to Marines and Zombies – that look more threatening than they actually are. These enemies take a few attacks and will then go down, with tougher enemies coming in the form of Captain and Commander types that act as minibosses if you like. You will also encounter enemies from the One Piece series on the field that are central to the anime’s story – and then do battle with them in order to progress through the stage.
As a newcomer to the series myself, I was pleasantly surprised that this title does go back to the beginning – as I initially feared that I would not be able to pick up the story as easily in this title, having never watched the anime or playing any of the previous games. So after a few cutscenes, I got stuck into the game’s main campaign.
Starting a stage is a simple as selecting which crew member you want to play as and then diving into the action. You will normally start at one corner of a map and be tasked with making your way through the battlefield to defeat a boss/ find a comrade – usually located in the opposite corner of the stage. Whilst doing this you will have many mini-quests thrown at you that usually require for you to capture an area of the map and claim it as Straw Hat Pirate (Luffy’s crew) territory, or to defeat a Captain/Commander/Enemy Character in order to open up a route to your final destination. There are 20 or so stages in the game, split into chapters that depict different periods of time during the anime’s lifecycle. When playing these stages you will find that the action will be interrupted by character dialogue and cutscenes that help to fill in the game’s story for those that are new to the series. These cutscenes are quite enjoyable, but some do feel like they are there just to prolong the length of a stage.
You know what type of game you are in for when you see the Omega Force logo flash up on the screen as game boots up, and One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 will be extremely familiar to anyone who has played any of the developer’s previous musou titles such as the Dynasty Warriors or Samurai Warriors series. Not having not played a musou title since Dynasty Warriors 2 released on the PlayStation 2 back in the year 2000 due to the fact that they bored me senseless, I was both a little intrigued and cautious when starting my journey with One Piece. If you haven’t played a musou game before, what you can expect is a fighting game that takes place on a battlefield with a few allies and many opponents. When you start the game you will play as Luffy (unlocking many more characters as you progress) and will take on a seemingly 36 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
Likewise, when you start a stage you are given criteria that you need to achieve/ensure does not happen. If an ally takes a certain amount of damage then they will retreat from the battlefield and some missions will task you with ensuring that certain allies do not retreat. You can bet your bottom dollar that when you are one side of the battlefield that one of the allies whom you are tasked with protecting will cry for help from the other side – forcing you to race across the map to heal your comrade. As mentioned, I feel that these are thrown in to add extra seconds to stages that take roughly fifteen minutes or so to complete. This length fits in with the notion of a portable title as (at times) you want something that you can drop in and out of, but they can get a little repetitive after a while due to the fact that each map feels similar to the last with just a different skin and a slight change in layout.
characters popping into view when there are a lot of enemies already on screen. These are only minor niggles, but they are worth a mention nevertheless.
When it comes to combat, those that have played any of Omega Force’s previous titles will instantly recognise the battle mechanics that are available in One Piece Pirate Warriors 3. You have both light and heavy attacks at your disposal, which can be chained into combos alongside a new feature in the form of the Kizuna system. This system fits in perfectly with One Piece Pirate Warriors 3’s insanely over the top style, where you can select a team mate to join forces with you at the end of a combo – with a gigantic super available once you have maxed out a bar in the top left of the screen that causes incredible destruction. You can switch between the comrades that are paired to you while completing a mission by using the d-pad, and I would encourage you to do this as it will lead to your Kizuna attacks; featuring multiple characters, all using their powers alongside you to perform both a powerful and visually stunning attack – able to KO most of the enemies that are unfortunate to be on the screen at the time.
It will take you around 15 hours or so to see most of what One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 has to offer, but for the completionist you can add another 30-40 hours to that time – especially if you want to fully max out each of the characters that are available to utilise. You can also upgrade characters stats by collecting rare coins from fallen bosses, although the game itself The soundtrack for dictates what bosses you need to the game is also of a defeat in order to upgrade certain stats good quality with (meaning it can take a little longer to music familiar to the reach a character’s full potential). series and a guitar-heavy theme present throughout the many stages. In all, I found that One Piece Pirate One Piece Pirate Warriors 3’s language Warriors 3 was an enjoyable game to track is only available in Japanese with play through, even if at times the English subtitles – which may be a action did become a little repetitive; I turn-off for some, but personally I think the name One Button Pirate prefer games that stick to the original Warriors would suit it better for all the language rather than having a time that I just pressed Square. I feel butchered attempt at localisation that that if this was an entry in the Samurai some games feature. Warriors or Dynasty Warriors series then I would not have enjoyed it as Aside from the main story, there is a much, so I think it is safe to say that free play mode and a ‘Dream Mode’ the One Piece license combined with that adds much more to the game. the gameplay help to make this game a Dream Mode is a remixed version of success. the story that sees you island hopping, fighting off various enemies in unique Although One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 situations whilst unlocking more does nothing new or out of the characters to add to the ever ordinary, fans of the series will love this expanding roster. There is also an title. For those that are not fans of the online mode that allows for you to play series then it is a good game if you through the game’s story mode with a want something you can just sit back, co-op partner either via ad-hoc or relax and play without thinking too online – allowing for you and a friend much – but don’t expect to be blown (or stranger) to fight your way through away by Luffy and the Straw Hat the enemy hordes together. Pirates PlayStation Vita outing!
The many characters that are available to play as all have a number of combos that they can use. These combos are particularly useful when you are playing through the missions in hard mode, but on normal difficulty you will find that you can just spam Square in order to progress. This button mashing does take some fun out of the game, so mastering these combos is a good way to increase your enjoyment of OPPW3. The great thing about One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 is that with all of the enemies that are on screen at once the game still manages to run smoothly and look fantastic on the PlayStation Vita. The game is colourful and the main characters look great – transitioning from anime to a 3D world without any compromises. I only encountered a bit of slow down during one boss battle, although the game does suffer from enemies and
One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 is a musou game in a similar vein to the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series - but that should not put you off this title. Sure the combat can get a little repetitive at times, but if you take the time to learn the combos and have the slightest bit of interest in the One Piece world then you will find something to like with this game. For those that are new to One Piece like myself, then with all the content featured in this game it is certainly a great place to start! Presentation
Gameplay
Lasting Appeal
The Vita Lounge
Execution
4
REVIEW THE QUIET COLLECTION
Reviewed by Brad Gruetzmacher 2
2
3
98 MB
Sometimes good things come in small packages. In the case of The Quiet Collection, good things come in the form of a small, quiet package. This bundle of simple but charming puzzle games has made the leap from PlayStation Mobile to the Vita in a delightful fashion. And as the PlayStation Mobile store is shutting down, it’s great to know that these “diamonds in the rough” won’t be lost in the process.
The Quiet Collection is a bundle of the four “Quiet” games from Nostatic Software. They consist of Quiet, Please!, Quiet Christmas, Vacation Vexation, and Candy, Please! Each one is like a mini-adventure game where you need to help your main character achieve her goal by using items found in the environment to overcome obstacles. They’re all relatively short, lasting between 20-30 minutes depending on how quickly you figure out the puzzles, but all play out as tightly packed experiences.
In Quiet, Please! you play as a small girl who has just come home from a hard day at school. Now all she wants to do is rest and enjoy some nice peace and quiet. The only problem is that her house if full of noisy distractions. Whether it’s the neighbor mowing his lawn, mom gabbing on the phone, or her little brother just being a little brother, there are just too much going on to allow her to rest. So in the style of some of the great adventure games of yesteryear, you need to solve these problems one-by-one by creatively using objects you find around the house.
Quiet Christmas is the second, and shortest of the games in the collection. Our heroine has returned and now it’s Christmas Eve. She needs to get to bed, but the house has one too many creatures stirring in the night. The puzzles aren’t quite as well thought out as in Quiet, Please! and everything is very straight-forward. Most of the puzzles are easily solved and the game is over very quickly with little effort. 38 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
Vacation Vexation is probably my favorite of the bunch, and this time the whole family has decided to head to the seashore for a relaxing vacation. All our young girl wants to do is lie on the beach, chill in the shade, and read a good book. The problem is that she has no shade, no book, and somebody else has already taken her spot in the sand. Our girl will have to navigate through the hotel to the bookstore to the arcade (and many more places in between) to find everything she needs for a quiet day at the beach.
Playing through Vacation Vexation, I got the sense that this is when these games really start to hit their stride. The puzzles become a little more elaborate and the environment becomes a little bit bigger. Things are no longer a walk in the park as you’re faced with one obstacle after another. Solving these puzzles will require a bit more thought as to how something you picked up in one area can be used (pretty creatively) somewhere else. Perhaps my favorite part about Vacation Vexation is the inclusion of the arcade with a few playable games. Inside you’ll find some decent recreations of arcade classics Space
Invaders and Frogger which have been renamed Face Invaders and Badger respectively. There is also a third game called Karate Battle, which I’ll admit I’m pretty terrible at. Each of these games feature their own leaderboard system and trophies are given for getting the high score. They’re simple and crude games, but a whole lot of fun. I probably spent more time playing Badger than I did playing the first two games in this collection. And last but not least, there is the final game in the collection, Candy, Please! This time around it’s Halloween and our little girl and her brother are on a quest for candy! However, before they can go out trick-or-treating, they each need to have a costume to wear. By mixing and matching different items from around the house, you need to create a suitable costume for both the girl and her little brother. Once the costumes are ready it’s time to hit the streets in search of more delicious treats.
Candy, Please! returns to the familiar location from the first two games but adds the more complex puzzles from the third. However, sometimes I felt as though the puzzles were a bit obtuse more than they were complicated. In the beginning, I felt lost more than anything, and it took a bit of time just to figure out what it was the game wanted me to do. Once things got rolling however, I discovered the thoughtful puzzles from Vacation Vexation had carried over into this new entry in the series. Finding all the candy in town took me longer than any of the other games, and it made for a satisfying end to the collection. The art for these games relies heavily (and I mean heavily) on an extreme pixelated style that takes some time to get used to. Most characters and objects consist of no more than a handful of pixels, and in that respect it’s admirable of how well designed everything is. The use of bright and bold primary colors in most places
helps make objects on the screen pop. It’s very well done.
them. But for the most part it’s rarely a problem.
As for the audio, well it’s about as retro as the art. Most of the music and sound effects are reminiscent of my first computer. Things here are very simple.
Aside from the short length and simple look to the game, there’s not much I can find fault with. Some of the puzzles can be a bit convoluted at times, but mostly they’re well thought out with clever solutions. None of the games take very long to get through, and as a whole they’ll only last a couple hours (if that). However, I found them to be an immense amount of fun.
And as long as we’re on the topic of simple, let’s talk about the controls. Every game in The Quiet Collection is a breeze to control as there are only a limited number of things you can do. Everything is accomplished by moving right or left with interactive actions tied to a two-button system. The little girl can only carry one item at a time, so your options are mostly “pick-up” “put-down” or “use” whichever item you’re holding. This can get frustrating because it means you need to backtrack to collect items you had to pass on the first time you encountered
The Quiet Collection is a surprisingly fun bundle of small, simple puzzle games that are both cute and charming. When they’re at their best, they reminded me of the classic adventure games from my youth. At their worst, well, they were mildly frustrating. If you’re look for a quick and quiet puzzle game, then The Quiet Collection is a game you should really check out.
The Quiet Collection is a bundle of four short but charming adventure games. With clever puzzles and an adorable story line these games manage to pack a good amount of fun into a very small package. The highly pixelated art might be a turn off initially, but The Quiet Collection is a game whose beauty in on the inside.
Presentation
Gameplay
Lasting Appeal
The Vita Lounge
Execution
3.8
REVIEW XEODRIFTER
Reviewed by Brad Gruetzmacher
0
5
11
80.9 MB
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, then Nintendo’s classic game Metroid must be down-right blushing as of late. Xeodrifter, the latest from Renegade Kid (known for their pixelated platformer Mutant Mudds), is so heavily influenced by Metroid that if you squint your eyes just a little, it’s hard to tell them apart. Sadly, despite it’s quirky and charming pixel art, Xeodrifter comes up as a pale imitation to its source material. In Xeodrifter, you play as a stranded spaceman whose ship has a busted warp engine. Fortunately there are a series of four planets nearby that you can visit. As you explore each planets’ deep cavernous terrain, you’ll locate upgrades and new powers that allow you to enter previously unreachable areas. Once you acquire enough upgrades and defeat enough enemies, you just might discover a new warp engine for your ship (spoilers… no wait. I won’t spoil the ending but you can probably guess).
Some would call it “Metroidvania” except there’s no “-vania” to this. From the art, the story, and enemies you encounter, this game is Metroid through and through. Renegade Kid has also brought back the mechanic of switching between the foreground to the background which was so prevalent in Mutant Mudds, but its use is little more than a gimmick here. While playing through Xeodrifter, I was constantly reminded of other games that it was difficult to remember that this is something new and different. It is new and different, right? I kept getting the sensation that it was so desperately trying to be something else that it lost its own identity along the way. As you’re making your way through the planets, there are a couple of collectibles you run across. One is an upgrade for your gun and the other is an upgrade to your health. Now, while the health upgrade is pretty straight forward, it’s the gun upgrade that is actually interesting. The gun 40 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
upgrades can be used in one of five different slots to change how the weapon functions. You can allocate upgrades to make the gun fire in a wave pattern. Or you can upgrade the strength of each shot or even the fire rate. Best of all is that you can mix and match (which comes in really handy later in the game). So you can put a few points toward a stronger shot, a few to a faster fire rate, and a few to the wave shot. The result is a mash-up of all three. This allows you to create the weapon that works best for you. Another nice feature is that you can change your configuration at any time. The game even gives you three different presets to help you quickly swap between loadouts. It’s not a great feeling when the biggest compliment you can dish out is “the weapon customization is kinda cool.” Unfortunately, so much else in the game just doesn’t work very well. For one, there’s a lack of variety in almost everything. There are four different worlds you visit, but aside from a few superficial things, they all look/feel the same. You find the same enemies lingering around each one, and the number of different enemy types is very limited. Even the boss fights are all nearly identical since you fight the same creature every time. Each boss fight might add a new element here and there to keep you on your toes, but it’s largely the same. After an hour or so the “been there, done that” feeling becomes overwhelming.
Something else that helped to play into the monotony of the gameplay was the checkpoint system. Xeodrifter’s system is a bit flawed in my experience. There’s a checkpoint at the very beginning of a world, and then another when you fight a boss. Should you die anywhere in between, it’s back to the beginning, and you lose whatever upgrades you found along the way. This pushed me to play very cautiously, meaning I took my time and destroyed every enemy I encountered “just in case.” I quickly learned that if I rushed a level, it was often disastrous. So as I would slowly make my way through each world time and again, the repetition started to sap any enjoyment I could get out of the game. The controls were also another area of frustration. Some people may complain that the jump mechanics in LittleBigPlanet are too “floaty,” and if that’s the case, then Xeodrifter is giving Sackboy a run for his money. You’re not given the options to do a short jump or long press for a higher jump. Here, everything is high jump. It makes doing a precise leap a bit more difficult than it needs to be. Also, when utilizing the special powers like speed-running or rocket boost, it’s extremely challenging to stop without running into something. Like a kid learning to roller-skate, or the Greatest American Hero, often times the only way to stop is by slamming into a wall.
Xeodrifter adopts a heavily pixelated art style, but unlike the bright colorful world of Mutant Mudds, here everything is a bit drab. On top of it
all, everything from the environment art to the enemy designs seem to be lifted straight out of Metroid. The music is also heavily reminiscent of… well, I won’t say it again. However, like much of the game, it’s also a bit repetitive and lacks a catchy hook to keep me interested.
game in under an hour. This might appeal to a lot of players who are turned off by 30 hour long games and just want something they can finish in a couple of sittings. The downside to this is that once it’s complete, there’s little reason to play it again.
In the end, Xeodrifter seems like it’s trying to replicate so many other games that it fails to stand on its own. The monotony of the level design and the repetitiveness of the enemy encounters does little to spice things up. There’s At least it’s not a long game. Everything very little here that hasn’t been done wraps up in about four hours or so, better elsewhere, and while I love depending on skill and how much homages to classic games, this is one effort you put into exploring. A speed- that just doesn’t hit its mark. run trophy is earned by completing the
Xeodrifter is a Metroid-inspired platformer that borrows heavily from other games to try and create something unique. However, the monotony of gameplay mixed with the lack of variety creates a game that is ultimately less than the sum of its parts. It might draw inspiration from several games, but rarely does it feel like those pieces come together in a fun or cohesive way. Presentation
Gameplay
Lasting Appeal
The Vita Lounge
Execution
2.5
REVIEW DUNGEON TRAVELERS 2: THE ROYAL LIBRARY & THE MONSTER SEAL
Reviewed by Shizuka 5
10
15
1.9 GB
Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & the Monster Seal is the first Aquaplus & Sting delivered dungeon RPG to get localized for the West. Originally for the PSP, it was developed by Sting (the company behind Atlus PSP titles like Riviera, Yggdra Union and Gungnir), while published in Japan by Aquaplus (of Aquapazza, Tears to Tiara, and Utawarerumono fame).
Classes are divided into basic, intermediate and advanced. Here, we have the same kind of jobs you’ll find in other RPGs – like Witch, Paladin, and Fighter – while also having a few unheard of ones; like Maid, Etoile and Puppetmaster. Each of them have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s up to you to find a balance of different classes that works for you and for the dungeon you’re treading.
It starts with Fried, the protagonist who’s also the newest Libra working for the Library. Being an honor student who graduated from the Royal Military’s Academy, he decided to become a Libra, a class only few can become, due to his fascination for monsters and history. Right after the story begins, Irena, your chief, pairs Fried with his Academy friends Melvy, an apprentice magician, and Alisia, apprentice Knight, in order to suppress an outbreak of monsters and find out what’s behind it. Not long after they go to investigate this dungeon being swarmed with monsters, they discover a mutant. This mutant is an enemy not yet listed in his Libra compendium of monsters, and a shrine, which becomes the thread that’ll tie the story throughout your journey in order to defeat the Demon God. It’s your standard RPG story; you’ll find yourselves witness to the greatest evil of all time, and it’s up to you and your friends to triumph over that evil and restore peace to the kingdom.
Some of you might be familiar with the term “DRPG”, or dungeon (crawler) role-playing game. It’s a genre where you’ll go through dungeons and dungeons, all laid out on maps as you go through them, facing enemies and following halls, activating traps and warps along the way. Dungeon Travelers 2 is a DRPG like Demon Gaze and Operation Abyss, and the exploration and battles all take place in first-person view. The enemies you find during your journey are all quite unique, but like the characters that join your party all the enemies are female. And beast-riding females… or fruit. I understand why the enemies are all female, but couldn’t find a connection as to why you’ll also face fruits as enemies. Between oranges, cherries and bananas, you stop looking for a reason why and realize you just have to enjoy the wackiness of the game.
About the characters; aside from the protagonist, which you do not control directly during battles, they’ll all be girls. That’s right, this is a game developed for a certain fan-base (though not limited to that fan-base). During the story you’ll recruit new characters for your party, with each one of them having a different class, personality, and background story. Melvy and Alisia are your Academy friends, but you’ll also have the most unlikely characters joining your party for their own reasons. 42 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
Dungeon Travelers 2 however, is hard. It’s not an obtuse game, with several complex dynamics that the player won’t be able to understand without a lengthy tutorial – it’s just plain hard. This is not a game for players that like to rush through dungeons, escape from battles, and neglect saving their progress.
Friends and enemies, allies and monsters; I’d have to say that they’re all beautifully designed and drawn – their portraits shine on the Vita’s screen. The dungeons are also quite different from one another, ranging from colorful forests and dark chambers. Before going to the next point, I feel like I need to warn people regarding the way this game deals with fanservice. During the game, you’ll find very risqué imagery of both your allies and the monsters you’ll find. Every time you defeat a mutant, the game will show the monster in a compromising pose… wearing little to cover their body. The same will also happen to the girls that join your party a few times when you go back to your base. It’s undeniable fanservice, depicting some young-looking characters. This can turn off a few players completely, so beware that it’s in this game and it’s not afraid to pop these images during certain points of the game.
Moving along, the game is divided between the dungeons and the library; the base of operation of sorts for the party. There you’ll be able to access the storage, the shop, a seal control room (where you’ll create new books using enemies sealed at the end of every battle), a quest desk that you unlock as you play the game, and even a secret classroom where Maid-sensei (yes, Maid-sensei) will teach you lessons of the game – also being completely insane and even going off-topic more often than not. There’s some amusing dialogue in this bit, even if you’re not interested in the game’s dynamics. The soundtrack is great for the genre, with different tracks for each dungeon. It is notable though that the game is fully-voiced in Japanese, with no option for dual-audio or English dub. It’s a compromise that I could accept, as the game is really entirely voiced, even the Maid-sensei’s lessons. The voice-over is also quite competent, which will make Japanese language fans quite happy. The game has no difficulty options. Most of the time that is barely important, as RPGs are usually balanced for keeping players on their toes while gradually increasing the difficulty throughout the game.
Give thanks for small blessings – you’re able to save anytime, anywhere, just by accessing the menu with the square button. You also have a soft reset command inside the game, which can be accessed by pressing the left trigger, right trigger and start buttons together. Once you get used to the fact that going through a door might trigger an inescapable battle with those rare and strong enemies that you’re quite not ready for, you’ll get used to saving often and planning your party ahead of time. The game is quite lengthy. It can take players up to fifty hours just to get through the main story, let alone the post-game content – which is locked behind grind doors that can take over one hundred hours in order for the player to complete everything. Luckily (for those interested), you can get the platinum trophy just by beating the main story and grinding the amount of enemies killed. There are no otherwise missable trophies whatsoever. Beneath the fanservice, there is a truly compelling and engrossing dungeon RPG that rivals Demon Gaze and Operation Abyss for the title of best game of the genre for the Vita. It’s hard, but never unfair; it’s fun, keeping the gameplay and dynamics always fresh. While I don’t recommend it for newcomers, I’d definitely suggest it for people looking for a fair challenge.
Dungeon Travelers 2 is not a game for those wary of fanservice or afraid of challenges; but if you’re into either of those, this could just be the game you’ve been looking for all along.
Presentation
Gameplay
Lasting Appeal
The Vita Lounge
Execution
4.5
TVL MAGAZINE
A YOUNG QUEEN VICTORIA, TIRED OF HER DULL ROYAL DUTIES SNEAKS AWAY INCOGNITO - IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURE ON THE RECENTLY COLONISED PLANET OF MARS. UPON ARRIVAL, A DOUBLE CROSS FOLLOWS WHERE BOTH SHE AND HER FELLOW TRAVELERS ARE CAPTURED AND FORCED TO BOSH ROCKS IN THE DEEP MARTIAN MINES. HELP HER FIGHT HER WAY ACROSS MARS AND ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE BACK HOME IN THIS EXCEEDINGLY RETRO ARCADE ADVENTURE! Rock Boshers DX s a twin stick shooter at its core, although an EXTREMELY RETRO one - you have been warned :D . On bootup it even lets you choose between ZX Spectrum or NES style graphics. When we reviewed the game we gave it a 4/5, saying that 'Rock Boshers DX: Director's Cut is fun, frantic throwback to a time when games came on cassettes and were judged on gameplay and not graphics. If you can look past the 80's visuals, you will find a twin-stick shooter-cum-puzzler that is brilliantly simple yet fiendishly challenging!' Dugan from Tikipod generously gave up some of his time to share some hints and tips with us to help you get the most out of Rock Boshers DX.
TACTICS - Your basic weapon is a pistol with infinite ammo, but other weapon ammo can be found on some levels. - Each level is a single screen setup with an exit to reach, enemies to blast, and some light puzzle elements to solve on your way. - If you find a level too hard, take a break and rethink your tactics to find an easier solution. 44 | The Vita Lounge Magazine
HIDDEN AREAS - Some levels contain hidden rooms which might contain pickups such as snacks, weapons and health. - Most levels have some sort of visual clue to where the hidden entrances might be, and you just have to push into the wall to reveal the hidden room. - If you can’t see a particular key or snack (each level has 3 snacks), then you can assume there will be a hidden room there someplace. Below we can see a before and after shot of one level's hidden room. This one was well hidden, and unfortunately yielded no rewards!
SNACKS AND ARCADE GAMES
ENEMIES
Each level contains 3 snacks to find (Tea, Cheese, Scone) and if you collect enough then you will unlock the mini arcade games listed below;
From tanks to giant worms, drilling machines and defense turrets – all manner of enemies will try to stop your progress. Here we get an idea of what to expect and how to handle some of the smaller enemies in the game;
- CHEESE DREAMS – shoot the giant cheese to make it drop gems which you must collect.
- Soldiers - Red soldiers are your stock guard types. Fitted out with basic guns, they are not very smart and tend to - AQUA KITTY – protect the deep sea milk pipeline using your run away if you get too close, just watch out for their erratic submarine. aiming. - GHOST PYRAMID – grab gems quickly whilst evading the ghosts. - BOSHTEROIDS – take to the stars in a side scrolling shooter with randomised level generation.
KEYS The coloured key system is quite simple. If you find that there are a green set of wall blocks in your way, go find the green key to switch off all green blocks. Look to find which key is within reach at the start of each level to ensure that you are heading in the right direction from the off!
- Zombies - There are two basic types, regular and tough ones (with more hit damage). Zombie generators cannot be destroyed, so you need to avoid becoming overwhelmed by moving quickly and blasting them to keep numbers manageable. - Super Soldiers - These blue guards have special energy weapons which fire homing blasts. Luckily these can be shot down. - Pink organic blobs - Animal or plant? Perhaps a bit of both, these pink blobs grow in some places on Mars and will block your way. Shoot them to pass through but watch out, as if they regrow underneath you then you will be stuck to the spot until they are shot again. - Turrets - They come in a variety of shapes and colours but all want the same thing – to stop you making out alive! Regular pistol ammo can’t destroy them so you will need to experiment to see which are susceptible to which weapons.
The Vita Lounge Magazine | 45
SEVERED Our most anticipated Vita title and we really can't wait. Are you excited for this? With touch mechanics for lopping off enemy limbs and set in a “fully stylised twisted reality” this Vita exclusive can’t come soon enough.
AXIOM VERGE The developer, Tom Happ, had some time out with baby related priorities and has told us that this will hopefully be out later this year. This retro-styled 2D Metroidvania title is inspired by classic games like Rygar, Contra, Bionic Commando, Blaster Master and Metroid.
DIGIMON STORY CYBER SLEUTH Set in the near future, the line between digital worlds and reality is becoming blurred, and logging into cyberspace is part of everyday life. For one teenager, a harmless online chat results in a chance encounter with a mysterious hacker and sets the adventure into motion.
ATTACK ON TITAN As the first screens and trailers are hitting, the excitement for this title is building. Based on the anime of the same name, we hope to find out more on this very soon.
HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER Storming back into our favourite upcoming Vita games, in Hyper Light Drifter you'll explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with unknown dangers and lost technologies. Inspired by nightmares and dreams alike.
THOUGHT THERE WERE N FOR THE VITA? THINK AGAIN STILL TO ARRIVE ON THE AT TEN THAT YOU SHOU
SWORD ART ONLINE: LOST SONG Set for release in November, and set in Svart ALfheim SAO: Lost Song is the first game in the series to allow you to play as a character other than series protagonist Kirito, with 19 to play as. If you loved Hollow Fragment - as we did - you'll love this.
NOT A HERO The order might be changing, but Not A Hero has been an ever-present in these lists. Which probably means it's taking too long for the reflextesting cover-based shooter to come out. Vote BunnyLord!
YIIK We got some hands-on with this upcoming RPG at EGX and it's awesome. The art style, the action, the vision. It's incredibly impressive and we simply have to have it.
SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS
NO GOOD GAMES COMING N! WITH OVER 200 GAMES E VITA WE TAKE A LOOK ULD BE EXCITED FOR!
The newest title in the series has the largest roster yet. It also has more moves, more story and more destruction than ever before as well as online match ups with up to four other players. A fan of Senran Kagura? Then you’ll be wanting this!
LEGENDS OF HEROES: TRAILS OF COLD STEEL A new entry on our list, this game has been available in Japan for some time and thanks to XSeed Games it'll soon be in your hands. If you love colourful and action-packed RPG games, you'll want to look out for this.
mypsvita.pl @MyPSVITApl /MyPsVita.PL pr@mypsvita.pl
MYPSVITA.PL IS THE ONLY POLISH WEBSITE FULLY DEDICATED TO THE PSVITA. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING POLISH VITA FANS WITH NEWS AND REVIEWS, WE LIKE TO HELP DEVELOPERS AND PUBLISHERS BY TRANSLATING DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE PS STORE, CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS, AND MORE! IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING REGARDING THE VITA IN POLAND, OR ARE JUST TRYING TO REACH A DEDICATED VITA AUDIENCE THERE, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH US! A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME POLISH VITA DEVELOPERS! For some years now, Polish developers have been doing quite well on the worldwide gaming scene. Although the more prominent games have been released on the PC and home consoles – obvious examples are The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt from CD Project RED and Dying Light from Techland – some developers have chosen to develop or port titles for the PlayStation Vita! The Vita arrived in 2012 and the first Polish-developed games were also released in 2012. Every year since, at least two new games with Polish roots have been released on PSN and there are at least another two on the way; because we are a Polish Vita site, we thought it would be fitting that we be the ones to talk you through these games.
ARMIES, DEATHMATCHES AND DYING, DYING AND MORE DYING The best place to start is with Bloober Team, who were not only the first Polish team to get a game onto the Vita, but they also managed it out on the launch day – and even more impressively for the Japanese launch too! Of course we are talking about A-Men, which is known in Japan as Assault Armies. A-Men is a puzzle game inspired by classic productions, like Lemmings and Lost Vikings. In A-Men we take control on army squad consisting five members, and every solider in the party has their own unique set of skills and personality - something which allowed Bloober Team to create a pleasant and funny background for the forty levels waiting in the game. A-Men met with positive response from gamers, which encouraged the studio to create a sequel which released in November 2013.
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The two A-Men titles aren’t the only games that this Polish developer worked on, and in 2013 two more titles were released by Bloober Team. Deathmatch Village is a MOBA produced by Freaky Games and is a free-to-play shooter where gamers select their choice of redneck, their goal being to win a war by catching as many pigs as possible. Every character has a unique weapon at their disposal, and matches are played in teams (which are limited to 3 vs 3). In order to increase number of potential gamers, the studio decided to release Deathmatch Village on PS3 too including cross-play. The next title that Bloober team were involved with is Die! Die! Die!. The game, created by Bloober’s subsidiary company iFun4All, is set inside the human body. The inner parts of your bodily systems are attacked by bacteria and viruses, and so your goal is to stop them by shooting medicine from syringe. Finally we have Alien Breed, which although not an IP owned by Bloober Team, the Polish studio did manage the Vita port.
RUNNING AND SLASHING Another Polish developer with a couple of Vita games is Mass Creation. Sporting simple gameplay, hand-drawn visuals (and also releasing on mobile platforms) we have Draw Slasher, from 2013. Draw Slasher stars Hanzo, who is seeking revenge on monkey-zombie pirates. In the game our finger becomes ninja’s sword so we can have a lot of fun in cutting hordes of enemies in few different modes.
VERDICTS AND FUTURE?
The second title from Mass Creation was released in 2014 and is Run Like Hell, which is an endless runner genre. In this game we are a treasure hunter, who has to run through whole island in order to save himself. Of course, there are a lot of obstacles in our way and, if that’s not enough to deal with, we are constantly chased by group of angry cannibals.
Out of these ten Vita titles either published or developed by Poles there is realistically only one game that we wouldn’t recommend, and that’s Die! Die! Die! We definitely urge you to check out Urban Trial Freestyle, Real Boxing and A-Men though, as these games are pretty good in our view. The rest of the Polish-created games are worth a look, especially if you are looking for something to act as a timekiller, and in that case we would suggest either of the two titles from Mass Creation; Draw Slasher or Run Like Hell.
Mass Creation also added a form of online, with the ability to race against other players’ ghosts. Detractors may complain that it is simply a smartphone port, but we found it quite fun and spent a lot of time with it.
TRIALS, BOXERS AND MICECRAFTING Here we have three titles from different developers, the first up is Urban Trial Freestyle which was created by Tate Interactive. The game was released in February 2013 and our task is to drive on a motocross bike through all manner of obstacles in a post-apocalyptic city jungle. Demanding and very pleasant gameplay combined with great physics were the main reasons behind adding the game to PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection. The next game we want to discuss is Real Boxing, which was released seven months after Urban Trials Freestyle and remains the only game in that genre on Vita. It was ported from other platforms by its creators – Vivid Games. Featuring some nice graphics and an interesting approach to executing movement and punches with the handhelds’ special functions (like touchscreen and gyroscope), this game will be tough to beat if a rival boxing title were ever to emerge. The final game we want to talk to you about was released in July 2014, but it wasn’t as successful as the sporting titles here. The game in question, MouseCraft, was created by Crunching Koalas and ported and released by a developer well-kown to Vita owners; Curve Digital. The game is combination of Tetris and Lemmings and the ultimate goal of this puzzle game is to create a machine driven with mice.
This isn’t the end of Polish-led Vita titles, and at this moment there are two titles in production that we all know of. The first one is turn-based action platformer called Ronin created by Tomasz Wacławek. Devolver Digital have a knack for spotting great indie titles, and snagged the title themselves. Recently released on the PC, Vita owners will have to wait until the end of this year to get their hands on it.
The second incoming Vita title is Regalia and its creators are a bunch of rookies calling themselves Pixelated Milk. The game was funded thanks to generous gamers using Kickstarter, and one of the most interesting points about that is developers managed to reach all their goals and collect $90,000 dollars. Regalia is tactical RPG and we hope to get our hands on it in early 2017. As Poles, we are so proud that our native developers decided to release their games on our favorite handheld. We are also happy that some of these titles were well acclaimed by gamers all over the world. We hope that future releases Ronin and Regalia will start a new wave and that we will have at least another ten new Polish games in Vita’s library. The entire team at MyPSVITA.pl wish that other smaller gaming markets could brag about their native, PSVita loving developers, just like we can! The Vita Lounge Magazine | 49
The love for the Vita that some of our fans have is incredible, but the belief in us and this magazine that the following readers have shown is truly incredible. Thank you for your support guys! If you see them on your online adventures, please say hello!
Lorenzo Samaniego
Patrick Albrecht
@ZoSam32 ZoSam32 I have been an avid Vita supporter since the slim version was launched. The main reason I love my Vita is because of its versatility. Great Vita games, access to PSOne Classics, and Remote Play make it a beautiful trifecta! My favorite games include Freedom Wars, Velocity 2X, and P4G
@albrechtpatr I'm loving Japanese games since I had a PSvita. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment and Phantasy Star Nova are my favourites.
Todd
Cowlauncher @Cowlauncher Diehard Vita supporter since day zero. Collector of every US physical copy. My top 3 Vita games are Uncharted, Gravity Rush, and Danganronpa.
Liam Allen-Miller
@2BFLiam or SuperBestFriendsPlay.com I'm Liam from Super Best Friends Play and I've been a fan of the Vita since Day 1. I love handhelds and the Vita is the cream of the crop.
Tom Grinnell
TomNinetyTwo @ TomNinetyTwo A Vita owner since Day 0, I spend most of my time battling my backlog of shame. I own 3 Vitas, a PSTV and 2 almost full 64GB cards
Matthew Wolfman
Andrew
MuggleMind My PSN isn't related to Harry Potter, honest. It was the name of my first D&D character way back in 1976. I'd meant to use "muddledmind", but wrote it wrong (I was only 11, so that's my excuse). Vita-wise, I play mine every day, usually travelling to and from work.
Curtis
Despite not being as passionate and devoted as some, I am still very fond of my Vita. I'm in need of a life, haircut and more SRPGS to feed my Vita addiction.
Carl Jennings
almighty-slayer @PooWithEyes My favourite Vita games are Tearaway, Velocity 2X and Gravity Rush. I'm trying to get back into Persona 4 Golden but always get distracted.
Kody Storm
unknownwolf123 @ unknownwolf7 Growing up I owned a lot of different consoles trying to find the perfect one for me. I found it when I got my PSvita. I never leave without it
@Updated8Seconds youtube.com/Updated8SecondsAgo (Youtube Commentator) Featuring PS Vita, PS4 & PC Games. Home Of The Series One Night Stand.
Adam Klarich
Benjamin Kolz
Jens Brinkmann
Holt Slack
Adam Klarich generously pledged to appear here but we could not get in touch with him to fill this section. Thanks for your generous support Adam!
Jens Brinkmann generously pledged to appear here but we could not get in touch with him to fill this section. Thanks for your generous support Jens!
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The VThe VThe The ita Loita LVoita VTih taeLoThe Lou unge ung ta Lo e n gVeituanLgV oeiu ngeunge M A M A M A M A G A G A G A G A Z I Z I Z I N E N E Z I N E M A M NA E G A G A Z I Z I N E N E
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PSVITA supporter since launch, joined by my lovely wife Diana (campeona de UMvsC3) and my sweet daughter Valentina (younger than Vita itself). Fav games: Killzone, Toukiden and Geometry Wars
Holt Slack generously pledged to appear here but we could not get in touch with him to fill this section. Thanks for your generous support Holt!
Also, a big thanks for all you who supported us and made this issue possible! Wilson, Wictor, DeathMoJo, Kelvin, Thulsa, Rick, Lars, Kevin, Matthew E, Miguel, Petit, Chris B, Mark, Joe, Shabbir, Gary, Bradley, Matt A, Daniel S, Juan, Erick, Tom L, Gabe, Steven, Richard, GadgetGirlKylie, Devin, Tim G, Brian, Daniel H, Lori, Andreas, Jan-Hendrick, Carl, Britta, Shelley, Seth, Kyle, Juha, Brad, Dmitry, Liam, Jose, Adrian, Chris G, Ben, CyberThreatGames, Judit, Mel, Skip.
DIRECTORY THE BEST 2015 VITA GAMES SO FAR
5
1.5 GB 2 16
23
4.9
DANGANRONPA ANOTHER EPISODE: ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS
KICK & FENNICK
4.8
4.6
2.3 GB 5 9
21
3.7 GB 2 16
26
4.6
771 MB 10 5
20
4.5
3.0 GB 2 7
38
HOTLINE MIAMI 2: WRONG NUMBER
808 MB 1 1
13
2.9 GB 4 10
4.6
403 MB 8 6
14
OLLIOLLI 2: WELCOME TO OLLIWOOD
26
4.6
303 MB 6 8
12
SUPER TIME FORCE ULTRA
TOUKIDEN: KIWAMI
FLAME OVER
4.5
4.9
144 MB 1 4 7
ATELIER AYESHA PLUS: THE ALCHEMIST OF DUSK
BROKEN AGE
4.6
GRIM FANDANGO REMASTERED
TETRIS ULTIMATE
STEINS; GATE
3.2 GB 2 11
36
4.5
1.0 GB 5 6
22
The Vita Lounge Magazine | 51
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*All content subject to change